Witchborn: It's in the Blood
by Chaytons Angel
Summary: Bran Cornick wasn't an only child. He'd had a brother who didn't survive the forced change. What Bran didn't know was his brother had a daughter he'd hidden from their mother, to protect her from their mother's darkness. Now, centuries later, his last living descendant comes to Aspen Creek to connect with family. Can Bran overlook her being witchborn to accept her into the fold?
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others.

********************A&O********************

Sometimes, just when you think you have your life figured out, you discover you don't have a blasted clue. Eirlys, Lys to those closest to her, thought she had her life all planned out. She was going to university to get her Bachelor of Science in Music with the eventual goal of getting her Master's degree. She loved to sing and play her guitar, violin, and piano, but those were more like her hobbies. What she really wanted to do was get into the production side of music, hence the Bachelor of Science. She had one semester left when she was suddenly called home to St. Asaph in Wales. Her grandmother needed to see her right away. Eirlys dropped everything to go home. Her grandmother raised her after her mother died when she was eight; if she needed her Eirlys would be there.

As soon as she stepped into the cottage she'd called home most of her life she could smell death. Her grandmother was dying. Eirlys swallowed down her fear and moved to her grandmother's room. She tried to prepare herself for what she might see beyond that closed door and then she stepped inside.

Dafina Blackwood lay in her bed with a handmade quilt covering her. She was propped up into a sitting position with a bunch of pillows and at first it looked like she was asleep. At the sound of the door her eyes opened. "There's my girl."

"Gran." Eirlys was shocked by the frail woman in the bed. Her grandmother was always so strong, so vibrant, and now she was but a shadow of herself. "Why didn't you send for me sooner?" she asked as she approached.

"Because you would have abandoned your dreams to come take care of me and I wouldn't have it," Dafina replied. "Come sit with me. We need to talk," she added and patted the bed next to her.

Eirlys moved to the bed and slid onto it to sit next to her grandmother." I should have been here, gran," she said softly.

"Nonsense. You were right where you needed to be, my girl," Dafina replied. She took a deep breath and held it a moment before she let it out slowly. "I'm dying, Lys, there's nothing that can stop it. I need you to do something. I need you to go to the United States to find someone."

Eirlys gave her a puzzled look. "Who am I going to the U.S. To look for, gran?"

"His name is Bran Cornick. He is a very elusive man. You may have an easier time locating his son, Samuel Cornick. I believe he is a doctor," Dafina replied.

"Gran? Why do you want me to find this Bran Cornick?"

"Because, child, he is family. Distant but still family. And I do not want you to face this world alone once I'm gone."

Eirlys shifted to look at her. "Why didn't you ever tell me I had family in the states?" she asked with a frown.

Dafina sighed. "Because, my girl, there are about Bran Cornick that are unsettling. You see, Eirlys, he and his son are wolves." Dafina didn't know he had two sons.

Lys stared at her. "You mean... Oh. That explains so much. Many of their kind don't like our kind."

Dafina laughed weakly. "Bran Cornick is the most distrusting of witchborn such as us. He believes all witchborn are black because they are the only ones who are strong enough to survive."

"We've done alright without resorting to black magic," Eirlys countered.

"True enough but that's because we've stayed to ourselves." Dafina closed her eyes a moment. "Promise me you'll look for Bran Cornick. He won't believe you, at first, when you tell him you are a distant relative, not until you give him proof. In the chest at the foot of the bed you'll find a small, silver box. It has the proof inside. Give it to him and he'll know." She coughed and there was blood in it.

Eirlys felt tears in her eyes. "I promise gran, I'll go find Bran Cornick."

"Thank you, my girl. I can go to eternal rest now knowing you'll be safe."

Dafina held onto life for two more days, during which time she told Eirlys exactly how she was related to Bran and Samuel Cornick, before she finally breathed her last breath. Eirlys was at her grandmother's side and felt her soul leave her body. "Goddess keep you in Her embrace, gran," she whispered and kissed her grandmother's cheek. Tears flowed freely as she waited for her grandmother's body to be taken away to be prepared for burial. Looking at the silver box she'd placed on the dresser Eirlys heaved a heavy sigh. She would keep her promise but she she had no idea where to even **begin** her search for Bran or Samuel Cornick.

********************A&O********************

Three months. That's how long it had been since her gran's death. Three months and so far nothing. Trying to find a single person in a country the size of the United States was like looking for a needle in a haystack; nigh impossible. Eirlys was beginning to think her grandmother set her on an impossible course.

And then there was a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. She located a Dr. Samuel Cornick at Kennewick General Hospital in Kennewick, WA. She just hoped **this** lead wasn't yet another dead end. She'd traveled to Texas because she'd heard of a 'Dr. Samuel Cornick' there only to find he'd moved away and no one knew where he was.

"I sure hope this isn't a wild goose chase, gran," she said before she slid onto her bike and headed out. She'd gotten the motorcycle as soon as she'd reached the states because it was cheaper on gas and she could travel faster on it than in a car. Besides, motorcycles were fun to drive.

********************A&O********************

"I'm sorry, miss, Dr. Cornick no longer works here."

Eirlys wanted to scream. Another blasted dead end! "You wouldn't happen to know where he transferred to, would you?" she asked even though she expected it to be in vain.

"I don't but a good friend of his might be able to help you find him. Her name is Mercy Hauptman. She's married to the alpha of our local werewolf pack, Adam Hauptman. If you'll hold on just a minute I can give you the number to her shop. She's a mechanic," the nurse said.

"That would be lovely, thank you so much," Eirlys replied. She waited patiently for the number and thanked the nurse again before she left the hospital.

********************A&O********************

Mercy was puzzled when an odd phone number popped up on her phone. It definitely wasn't a familiar one, that was for sure. "Mercy Hauptman," she said when she answered it.

"'Ello, Mrs. Hauptman. My name is Eirlys Blackwood. I was given your number in hopes you could help me get in touch with Samuel Cornick," Eirlys said. She stood just outside the hospital while she talked.

Mercy was instantly alert. "Why are you looking for Samuel Cornick?"

"That's a bit... complicated," Eirlys admitted.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you meet my husband and I and you can explain this 'complicated' reason in person," Mercy countered. She wasn't about to give the person on the other end Samuel's number or whereabouts without making sure it was safe to. He had a wife and a new baby to think about.

"Of course. I don't know much about the area but I have a room at the Holiday Inn. We could meet at the restaurant attached to it," she suggested.

"Give me just a minute," Mercy said and covered the phone to talk with Adam briefly. "We'll be there in half an hour."

"I'll reserve a table. Just tell the hostess you're with the Blackwood party," Eirlys replied and hung up. Finally she was making some headway in her search. She just really hoped Mercy Hauptman really did know where he was.

********************A&O********************

Mercy sensed magic as they approached the table. Her eyes narrowed and she tensed a little. Whatever it was faded away but she didn't let go of the tension. "So, why is a witch looking for Samuel Cornick?" she asked when they stopped next to the table.

Eirlys jumped at the voice. "What? How did you know I'm a witch?"

"I can sense magic," Mercy replied. "What were you doing just now?"

"My apologies. It was a cleansing ritual to rid myself of negativity. These last few months haven't been easy ones," she replied.

Adam gave a slight nod. She was telling the truth. They sat across from the stranger and he let Mercy do the talking.

"You said you're looking for Samuel. Before I tell you anything I need to know why. What is it you want from him?"

"It's really his father, Bran Cornick, that I need to find but I was told it might be easier to find his son, Samuel. As if three months of searching, and several dead ends, is **easy**."

"The question stands. What is it you want?" Mercy asked again.

"I don't want anything from them, Mrs. Hauptman. I'm trying to find them because they're the only family I have left in this world."

Mercy blinked. "Come again?"

"I am a distant descendant of the brother Bran Cornick lost when he was made a werewolf. I was only told of this a few months ago, when my gran died, or I would have begun my search before now."

"I didn't know Bran had a brother," Mercy said then waved it away. "Doesn't matter that I didn't know. Bran isn't just going to take your word for it, you know?"

Eirlys nodded. "I know. I have the proof I need to convince him. Please, I just need to find them. Even if they don't believe me. I made a promise to my gran on her death bed, I have to keep it."

"Okay, okay," Mercy replied. "They live in a really small town in Montana called Aspen Creek. I'll give you directions on how to get there," she said and got something to write on. A napkin was better than nothing, right?

"Thank you, I really appreciate this," Eirlys said. She would head out first thing in the morning.

"Don't thank me yet, they might not even let you get two words out before you're told to leave their town. Bran really doesn't like witches," Mercy told her before she and Adam left to go home.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Eirlys replied before she went to her hotel room to try to get some rest. She had a feeling she was going to need it.


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others.

********************A&O********************

Even with detailed directions to Aspen Creek she almost missed the turn off onto the narrow road. It looked almost like a driveway, it was so narrow and there were so few tire tracks. She drove cautiously given the snow covered surface because she had no desire to hit a patch of ice and go flying. Dying when she was this close to her goal would really suck. What was with the easy to miss sign, though? Did they really dislike visitors that much? When she finally reached the town she realized there wasn't much to it. Not that she could see, anyway. That answered her unspoken question about visitors. At least it had a motel. That was a blessing. Odd, given the size of the town and the lack of, well, anything really, but at least she wouldn't be sleeping out in the cold.

Lisa Stoval, owner of the Aspen Creek Motel, well co-owner really since technically it was owned by her **and** her husband, watched as the motorcycle pulled up in front of the motel. She arched a brow when the rider removed their helmet to reveal they were a female. Who was she and why was she there?

"'Ello, I'd like a room, please," Eirlys said as she approached the desk.

"How long will you be in Aspen Creek?" Lisa asked as she set the register in front of the woman to fill out.

"I'm... not sure. Actually, maybe you can help me. I was told Samuel Cornick lives in Aspen Creek. Could you direct me to him?"

"Why are you looking for Samuel?" Lisa asked.

"It's a private matter," Eirlys replied.

"Well, I'm not at liberty to give that information out but I can give him a call," Lisa offered.

"I'd appreciate that, thank you."

"Don't mention it. Here you go, room twelve," Lisa replied. As soon as the woman, who signed the register as Eirlys Blackwood, was out of the office Lisa was on the phone with Bran. She wasn't going to disturb Samuel and Chloe, they only recently brought their daughter home from the hospital. Besides, Bran was pretty much the one in charge so it was better she called him anyway.

********************A&O********************

Aria answered the phone after glancing at the caller ID. She liked to know who was calling in order to greet them, if possible. "Hello, Lisa, how are you today?"

It had taken the townspeople a little time to realize that Aria was nothing like Bran's old mate, Leah. She was warm and friendly and genuinely cared about others. "Hello, Aria. I'm well. I apologize for disturbing you but is Bran available? I need to speak with him."

"He's in his study. Let me get him for you," Aria replied. She knocked lightly on the door before she opened it. She smiled at the sight of their daughter, Lexia, sitting on Bran's lap while he worked on teaching her to speak Welsh. "Sorry to interrupt, love, but Lisa Stoval, over at the motel, needs to speak with you," she said as she approached. "Come on, poppet, let's leave your da' to his phone call," she added to her daughter.

"Iawn, mama," Lexia replied, kissed her father's cheek, and left with her mother.

"This is Bran," he said into the phone once he was alone.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I thought it was best I called you. There is a young woman by the name of Eirlys Blackwood staying in room twelve who is looking for Samuel."

"I see. Thank you for calling me with this. I will be there shortly," Bran said and hung up. Blackwood was his mate's maiden name but since the woman was looking for Samuel, not Aria, he doubted there was a familial connection between them. He wouldn't meet the woman alone though. _'Charles, I need you at the motel.'_ His youngest son was more attuned to magic than he himself was and it was always safer to cover all bases.

********************A&O********************

Charles was helping Juliana with her science project when he heard his father's voice in his head. "I have to go help da' with something, little one. We'll finish this when I get back," he said and after telling Anna where he was going he got in the truck and headed to the motel. What could his da' need him at the motel for? There were no wolves in the safe room, so what was going on? He parked next to Bran's SUV and got out. "Da'?"

"Lisa Stoval called to inform me someone was here looking for Samuel. I want to be sure she isn't a threat to him or Chloe before I call him in."

"Alright, da'," Charles replied and let him lead the way.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys was sitting on the bed with the box in front of her when she heard a knock on the door. With a soft sigh she set the box aside and went to answer it. "Can I help you?" she asked the two men at the door. The smaller of the two reminded her of one of her classmates at Uni but the larger, clearly Native American one, was imposing and she took a small step back.

The instant the door opened Charles knew the woman inside the room was a witch. His lip curled and he shifted a little in front of his father.

Bran cocked a brow at his son's reaction before he looked at the woman. "Why is a witch looking for Samuel Cornick?"

Eirlys blinked. "That's the same thing Mrs. Hauptman, Mercy, asked me." That was a bit creepy.

"She's quite the intuitive one, our Mercy," Bran replied. "You didn't answer my question."

"I hope he can get me in touch with his father."

"And why is that?"

"I'd rather not discuss that with everyone I meet."

Charles was silent until then. "If you think we'd allow a witch anywhere near Samuel without knowing **why** you're looking for him, you're crazy."

"I didn't come here to cause trouble," Eirlys replied.

"You're witchborn, that's all your kind knows how to do," Bran said in reply.

"And you're a werewolf, all your kind knows how to do is slaughter innocents," she fired back. She could feel their energy, that was how she knew what they were.

"That is an untruth."

Eirlys laughed. "Throughout history werewolves have attacked innocents, sometimes to change them, others just to slaughter." She met his gaze a moment then broke eye contact. Staring a werewolf down would be bad.

"You know a good deal about werewolves," Bran said thoughtfully.

"Aye, that I do. I had to learn in case I ran into any while at university."

"You aren't from the states," Bran said knowingly.

"No, I'm not. I'm from Wales, but how did you know?"

"Besides the accent? You called it university. Here in the states they call it college. Where did you attend?"

"City University, in London." Eirlys frowned. She was answering his questions like it was nothing. Why? If he'd been a witch she would have thought it was a spell of compulsion. She realized, though, that if she didn't explain why she was looking for Samuel she wasn't going to get to talk to him. "In answer to your previous question, I am looking for Samuel Cornick because I hope he can direct me to his father, Bran."

"You said that already," Bran pointed out.

"It's a bit complicated and very personal, but I mean no one any harm, I swear it."

"There is no need for you to speak to Samuel," Bran said and smirked. "Why are you looking for me, Miss Blackwood?"

"You're Bran Cornick? Blimey, I should have known," she said and shook her head. "The short answer is because you are the last living relative I have, you and Samuel."

"I think that's a first, da'," Charles said. "I don't think anyone's ever come here claiming to be kin before."

"I believe you're right, son." Bran looked at the woman. "You need to leave Aspen Creek, now. You are not welcome here."

"Wait, please. I'm telling the truth and I can prove it." She went to the bed where she'd left the box and picked it up. "You had a brother, Myrddin, who didn't survive the attack that you and your son, Samuel, survived. What you didn't know, what he kept hidden even from you, was that he had a child, a daughter. He hid her identity, her very existence, to protect her from your mother." She opened the box and inside, faded to a dull gray with time, was a metal band. It was a match to the one Bran still wore on his right hand.

"Where did you get that?" Bran asked and a growl trickled out before he got control of himself again. He remembered the last time he'd seen his brother, the day their mother had her pet werewolf attack them and Samuel; Myrddin's ring was missing from his hand. He never took it off, neither of them did, but Bran hadn't gotten the chance to question him about it before his world was forever changed.

"My gran gave it to me, two days before she died. She made me promise to come find you because she didn't want me to be alone. A solitary witch, one who refuses to perform black magic, doesn't really live very long."

"And just how have you managed to survive this long without resorting to darker things?" Bran asked. His voice was bland, as if he didn't care about the answer, when in reality he cared very much.

"By living in a very small town. The population in St. Asaph isn't even 4,000. It was easier to put up wards. I was at greater risk when I was at university."

Both werewolves could hear the truth in her words, could smell the truth in them, but still Bran didn't like or trust witches. Too often they turned to darker magics. He'd seen, firsthand, what could happen when such a thing occurred. He'd experienced it, lived through it, he never wanted to go through it again. But, she was kin, his brother's descendant, he wanted to give her a chance. "You can remain, for now," Bran finally told her. He would warn his people, his wolves, about the potential danger just in case.

"Thank you. I understand your mistrust of my kind. Too many do turn to darker magics, they get greedy and power hungry, but me, I've always been content just the way I am. My magic doesn't define me," Eirlys replied,

"We will see," Bran said and he and Charles moved to leave. "We don't have a restaurant here but Troy isn't that far. Turn right when you reach the main road out of town and you can't miss it. You can get something to eat there," he added then got in his SUV and headed home.

Eirlys watched him go before she realized the other wolf was still there. "Yes?"

"If you try to harm him, in any way, I will kill you," Charles warned then he too left.

Eirlys watched him go and shuddered. She believed him and she didn't think for one second that it would be quick or painless if he ever felt the need to follow through on the threat. She still had no idea who he was other than Bran Cornick's son, a son her gran had known nothing about. It was oddly comforting to learn her gran didn't know everything after all. If she was completely honest with herself she'd been a little creeped out by just how much her gran **had** known about Bran and Samuel Cornick.

She was suddenly exhausted. The emotional strain of the last few months had finally caught up with her and after making sure her door was locked she stripped and crawled into the bed to sleep. She would worry about food in the morning.

********************A&O********************

"Something is troubling you." Aria slipped into her mate's study and went to stand behind his chair. Her hands rested on his shoulders a moment before she began kneading the knots of tension from them.

Bran closed his eyes and let his head fall forward. Soon a soft growl of contentment escaped him. "Do you know an Eirlys Blackwood?" he asked after a moment.

"I can't say that I do, why?" she asked as her fingers worked their magic on his muscles.

"She's the reason Lisa called me to the motel. It seems she is a direct descendant of my brother, Myrddin."

Aria frowned. "I didn't know you had a brother."

"Few do. He didn't survive the attack that Changed Samuel and I and talking about it is often too painful. We were quite close. I thought I knew my brother but it turns out I didn't. He had a daughter that he hid from our mother. She was... she was pure evil. Power-hungry and mad with it. She cared for nothing, in the end, but using her magic to destroy others. Myrddin knew what she would have done had she known about the child. She would have killed her slowly, painfully, used her in some dark ritual, and she would have made Myrddin watch. So he hid her and he couldn't tell anyone about her existence, not even me. Our mother would have used Samuel against me to make me talk if she thought I knew. And now, the last of his line has found her way here, to me."

Aria listened intently. "You sound in awe of her existence so why is she at the motel and why are you so tense?" she asked gently.

"She's witchborn," Bran replied.

"Ah." Aria knew of her mate's mistrust of witches, she even understood it after all that he'd suffered at the hands of his own mother. Many of their kind didn't trust witches because the more powerful ones resorted to darker magics to achieve their goals. Even packs that had a witch on retainer didn't fully trust the witches they worked with. Usually. There were rare exceptions, like Moira Keller, the mate of Tom Franklin, the Emerald City Pack's second. "You're worried she might have an hidden agenda or she might harm others, aren't you?"

"Yes. She claims she has no desire to increase her magic, she claims she has never done any black magic, and while I can smell no lies in her words, how do I know that won't change?"

"Then tell her to leave. I know she's your kin but we have to protect our people, love. If she is a potential threat then she should leave." She moved around the chair and slid onto his lap. "All of which you already know. You would never put our people, our family, in danger. That you let her stay says you don't think she's a threat despite not trusting her."

Bran smirked a little. "You know me well, my heart. I believe she came here for the reasons she stated, to fulfill a promise and find the last of her kin. But until I know she isn't a danger I will not allow her around the people I love."

"It's good you're willing to give her a chance," Aria said and kissed his cheek. "I'll let you get to work," she added and moved to get up.

"I'd like you to call Winston Frost and ask him to look into her story. She said she was intending City University in London and implied that she'd had some trouble with a witch, or witches, while there, as well as werewolves. She said she'd had to learn about our kind to avoid trouble while she was in school. Charles will be looking into the rest of her story."

"I'll give him a call and see what he can dig up," Aria promised and left him to his work.

Bran sent a warning to the pack and then tried to focus on work. He knew at least **some** of his wolves would be curious about her and why he was letting her remain in Aspen Creek but only one would have the courage to question him about it.

********************A&O********************

Asil was in his hothouse when Bran's voice slid through his mind. Why the devil was he allowing a witch, of all things, to stay in Aspen Creek? He went into the house he shared with his mate to get his keys. "I will return, my little Omega," he told her and left.

His fingers tapped on the steering wheel as he drove. Was Bran being controlled by this witch somehow? What if Mariposa had taught others how to control werewolves? This could be bad. Very bad. He pulled into his Alpha's drive and got out of the car without bothering to turn it off. "Are you mad?" he asked as he barged into Bran's study.

"With as long as I have been alive some might think so," Bran replied.

Asil ignored him. "Is she controlling you? What a stupid question. Of course she is. She must be," he said as he paced back and forth in front of Bran's desk. "Mariposa taught others how to do it and now another has come here to pick up where she left off. After all their kind has done to us, that is the only explanation for why you would allow a witch to remain in Aspen Creek for even a minute."

"Good to know I was right."

That threw him off and Asil frowned. "What are you talking about? Right about what?"

"I was certain if any of my wolves questioned my decision it would be you," Bran replied. "No, I am not being controlled. She is the last living descendant of my brother's line. He had a child before our mother had her pet werewolf attack us. If she'd suspected the child's existence she would have gotten the whereabouts from him first then would have made him watch as she killed it. Whether or not she remains in Aspen Creek permanently has yet to be decided."

Asil stared at him a moment. "So she is your too-many-greats-to-count niece? I hope you know what you're doing," he said and left. He wouldn't allow the witch anywhere near his mate, he would not risk losing Thea the way he'd lost Sarai.

********************A&O********************

It was late morning when she woke up again. Eirlys stretched and laid there a moment. The meeting the day before hadn't gone as badly as she'd feared it would. At least he was giving her a chance to prove she wasn't a threat.

Her stomach growled and she sighed. She needed food but she needed a shower first. The water felt good against her skin and when she finished she put her hair in a braid, got dressed, and stepped out of her room. She stood there a moment taking in the sight of the sun on the mountains. There was still snow on the ground and her breath fogged out with every exhale.

"Beautiful sight, innit?"

Eirlys jumped at the voice and turned to see who was talking. He was a large man with messy, long red hair. It didn't look unkempt just messy as if he didn't care much for appearances, as long as it was clean. "Aye, it is," she replied.

"Didn't mean to startle you. So you're the witch, huh? You don't look like a threat."

Eirlys blinked at him. "Esgusodwch fi.. er, I mean, excuse me?" Sometimes when caught so off guard like that she automatically used Welsh instead of English since it was her first language.

"Our Alpha warned us of a potential threat, that's what you are until you prove otherwise. Some of us aren't **quite** as mistrusting of witches to the point we automatically assume you're here for nefarious reasons. That doesn't mean we won't see you dead if you try to harm anyone in the pack, especially our Alpha. A few of us will be keeping an eye on you, witch."

"I have a name, it's Eirlys, and I understand the mistrust. There is a long history of witches committing atrocities. But you need to remember this, wolf, werewolves are just as vicious, just as evil, when **they** want to be. The Beast of Gevaudan comes readily to mind. Those who have their own darkness inside them, those who have the potential to be just as evil, should look to their own kind before they start pointing fingers. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm starving and since I've already been told there is nowhere in Aspen Creek to get something to eat, I'm going into Troy," Eirlys said and headed for her bike.

Tag laughed heartily. "Damn, girl, you are definitely a Cornick. You've got their wicked tongue and their grit, that's for damn sure. I'm Tag. Be seeing you, Eirlys," he said and watched her go.

His laughter had surprised her but it was his words that really got to her. She'd always wondered why her gran was such a strong-willed person, someone she herself had been told she took after, while her mother had been weak. She knew she was related to Bran Cornick through her gran, who'd been her father's mother. Maybe that was why.

It gave her a great deal to think about as she went to get food to bring back to put in the little fridge that was in her room. She planned on sticking around, permanently, and until Bran trusted her she had to deal with the less than perfect accommodations. Then again, it could be worse. She could be sleeping in a tent and cooking over and open fire while freezing her butt off in the process. Yeah, it could always be worse.

********************A&O********************

 **A/N:** The Welsh word Lexia says to Aria, iawn, essentially means 'okay'. Esgusodwch fi, which Eirlys says to Tag, is the formal version of 'excuse me'. Had they been acquaintances she would have used the informal version which is Esgusoda fi.


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others.

********************A&O********************

There really wasn't much to see in Aspen Creek. There were only four real buildings, in terms of public places, besides the clinic, complete with it's own pharmacy, which was located on the very edge of town. There were a lot of houses, though. As she wandered the snow-covered streets she felt eyes on her. She wondered which werewolf was following her every move. She had no doubt it was one of the werewolves Tag had said would keep an eye on her.

The level of mistrust was disturbing. Sure, she'd dealt with suspicion before, what witch hadn't, but this took that to a whole new level. What had happened to the wolves in Aspen Creek to cause such animosity?

********************A&O********************

Sage watched as the young woman, the witch they were all cautioned about, wandered through town, such as it was. She was among the 'not as mistrusting' group of wolves so when Tag mentioned wanting to keep an eye on her Sage agreed to help.

Colin Taggart wasn't a man who was easily impressed and yet the witch had managed to impress him quite a bit. He'd stopped by to talk to Sage and told her about how the petite woman had held her own against him. That made Sage want to meet her. Besides, Bran was witchborn and he turned out okay. "Not much to see in our little town but at least the scenery is lovely."

Eirlys was pulled from her thoughts by the voice. "No, but it's not much different from what I'm used to. St. Asaph isn't **quite** this small but with a population of less than four thousand it's not exactly big either."

"St. Asaph? Where's that?" Sage asked.

"It's in Wales, in the UK."

"Ah. Cool," Sage said. "I'm Sage, by the way," she added. "You managed quite a feat. Tag is not easily impressed but you pulled it off when you stood up to him. I would have loved to see that. A lot of people are intimidated by Tag."

Lys shrugged. "I've always been smaller than a lot of people, I'm used to having to hold my own against them. Besides, I know enough about werewolves to not look weak to them. Weak makes you prey."

"Did you have any interactions with werewolves before you came here?" Sage asked.

"Some, at university. One of my professors was a werewolf. When he realized I knew what he was he was worried I'd report him."

"Why didn't you?"

"Why would I? He wasn't a threat to anyone. He was just a man who wanted to help others achieve their goals. Nothing more."

"That's not an attitude werewolves are used to," Sage said after a moment. "Especially in Europe."

"Aye. They're used to being seen as naught more than monsters but they're still just people with families, jobs, hopes, dreams, fears," Eirlys shrugged. "Maybe it's that I can relate considering the way witches are often viewed," she added. "My apologies, I never introduced myself. I'm Eirlys Blackwood," she said because she'd realized that while Sage had introduced herself she hadn't returned the favor.

"Nice to meet you. So, I won't lie to you, it's not going to be easy to prove to Bran that you aren't a threat to the pack or the townspeople. Did you know of his opinion of witches when you came here?" she asked curiously.

"Aye, to an extent anyway. But I'd made a promise to my gran, I wasn't about to break it. So here I am. I'm not a threat but I understand the caution." Lys wrapped her coat tighter around herself as they talked.

"Interesting. I should let you get back to the motel to warm up. Nice talking with you, Eirlys."

"You as well, Sage," Lys replied. 'What was that all about?' she wondered then shrugged and went back to her motel room to warm up.

********************A&O********************

There wasn't much to do in Aspen Creek but the surrounding area was beautiful. Eirlys found herself wandering the nearby mountains **just** to enjoy the scenery. It didn't take long for her to realize she was being followed. It wasn't that she heard anyone, per se, she just sensed their energy. "I know you're there." Would her shadow reveal themselves?

********************A&O********************

Tag had watched as the little witch left the motel and slipped into the trees outside of town. He followed her on silent feet as she walked and he soon realized she was just taking a walk. He followed her because that was the point of keeping an eye on her; to follow her and make sure she wasn't doing anything nefarious. "Damn, woman, how did you know I was here? I know I didn't make any noise," he said when she called out to him.

"I felt your energy. I was wondering if I was about to meet yet another new wolf. I met Sage the other day. Surely you two aren't the only ones watching me."

"No, we're just the only ones who decided to talk to you," Tag countered. "Can all witches sense our energy even from a distance?" he asked.

"No, it's not very common at all. I've always been able to sense different energies though, even those who are fae, be it full blooded or not."

"Interesting," Tag said after a moment. "What are you doing out here?"

"Enjoying the solitude," she admitted. "It's peaceful out here even if it is cold."

"You shouldn't wander too far from town, you could get hurt," Tag told her.

Eirlys gave him a puzzled look. "Why is that?"

"Snow drifts, hidden burrows, mountain lions, anything could happen."

Eirlys watched him a moment. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were worried about me."

"Just being a decent person," Tag replied. Truth be told, he **was** worried about her safety but he wasn't ready to admit to it.

"If you say so. I should get back to town, I suppose," Lys said before she changed direction and went back the way she'd come. So far Bran hadn't even spoken to her, not since their initial meeting. If she was completely honest with herself it was a little upsetting. She'd come there to meet the last of her kin, to be near family, and she'd never felt more alone in her life.

********************A&O********************

"Is it true, da?"

Bran looked up from the report he was reading and gave his eldest son a blank look. "Is what true?"

"Is it true there is a witch staying at the motel who claims to be a distant relative?"

"It is. And she is. And before you ask how I know she isn't lying, she has Myrddin's ring."

Samuel sat in one of the chairs opposite his father. "His ring. There's only one other like it in existence... there's only one way she could have it," he said, voice distant with shock.

"Precisely," Bran replied.

"When were you planning on telling me?"

"When I was certain it was safe. I will not put my family at risk."

"Are you forbidding me to meet her then?" Samuel asked.

Bran wanted to say yes but he couldn't do that. "No, son, I am not forbidding you to meet her. I do ask, however, that you not let her near your mate or daughter just yet."

"You don't need to ask me that, da. I have no intention of letting her near Chloe or Amaris until we know she's no danger to them." He rose from the chair, nodded at his father and then left.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys was finishing her application for a student visa when there was a knock on the door. She frowned, set her laptop aside, and went to answer it. "Yes?"

Samuel stared at the petite brunette. She was several generations removed from his uncle but there was a resemblance in the fine bones in her face as well as her eyes. "I'm Samuel Cornick," he said, introducing himself.

She was startled at the introduction. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Eirlys Blackwood. Would you prefer to talk outside?" she asked.

Samuel cocked a brow at that. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that? I appreciate the concern but there is no need. I just wanted to meet the witch who is descended from my uncle. We didn't even know he had a child."

"I know. My gran told me that, according to **her** gran, Myrddin had to keep his daughter's existence a secret to protect her from his mother. Was she really so evil she would have harmed an infant?" she asked.

"Aye, she was. She took great pleasure in harming others. She had her pet werewolf attack us, not caring if we lived or died, then she suppressed our humanity with magic."

Eirlys shuddered. "I cannot even begin to imagine what that was like."

"It was a very dark time. We only broke free of her hold because she ordered da to kill me and he was able to break free of her control. That was the one thing he would not, could not do." Samuel shook his head. "Uncle Myrddin was wise in keeping his daughter's existence a secret." He studied her a moment. "Give da time, he'll realize you're not a threat and welcome you with open arms. It's simply difficult for him to trust a witch, any witch, after all the evil he's seen committed by so many of them."

"I understand. It's kind of like how hard it is to trust a werewolf to not attack because it's in their nature."

Samuel would have liked to argue with her but she was right. "Well, I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Welcome to the family," he said and left.

Eirlys watched him go. At least **one** of her kin hadn't automatically assumed she was there for nefarious reasons.

********************A&O********************

Maryanne Taggart was a woman on a mission. Her son had warned her about the 'potential danger' that was the young woman staying at the motel. She'd been there a week now and she'd proven herself to not be a danger as far as Maryanne was concerned. She stayed to herself, she didn't bother anyone, she wasn't dangerous. Lisa Stoval had called her just that morning to tell her about how the young woman had come to her aid when she was having trouble with the heater in the office. Eirlys found the trouble, a loose wire, and fixed it so she didn't have to bother her husband to do it for her. The loose wire could have caused a short in it, which in turn could have started a fire. If the young woman was a danger she wouldn't have cared. Maryanne knew she had to go all the way to Troy for food and decided to invite her for dinner. She knocked on the door to room 12 and waited.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys was reading a book when someone knocked. Puzzled she got up and answered it. An older woman, red hair streaked with gray, stood there. "Can I help you?"

"Hello, dear. I'm Maryanne Taggart," Maryanne said and offered her hand in greeting. "I've come to invite you to dinner. I know you've been having to go all the way to Troy to eat, and I thought you might like a home cooked meal."

Eirlys blinked at that. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Taggart. I'm Eirlys Blackwood. That's very generous of you," she said and shook her hand. "But I have to ask why you're doing it. Surely you've been warned about how 'dangerous' I am," she added with a note of bitterness in her voice.

"I know you're a witch, and I know the Marrok has warned the wolves about you. They're keeping an eye out for trouble. I, however, think they're over-reacting. You've been here a week now and nothing horrible has happened. I don't believe in ostracizing someone based on things others have done," Maryanne replied.

"Thank you," Eirlys said softly. "You have no idea how nice it is to have **someone** trust me and not judge me by the actions of others."

"You're welcome, dear. So, will you come to dinner?"

"I'd be delighted. Thank you, Mrs. Taggart."

"Please, call me Maryanne."

"Maryanne, then. My friends and family call me Lys. Well, my gran **used** to call me that before she passed away." The pain of losing her grandmother was still evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry for your loss. It sounds pretty recent."

"It was just a few months ago," Eirlys admitted. "My gran raised me after my mum died when I was little. Losing her was hard."

"I can only imagine." Maryanne led her to her car then drove them to her home. Once there she introduced Eirlys to her other son, his wife, and her grandchildren who were helping with dinner. "The Taggart clan is quite large, we eat a lot of food when we get together," she explained.

"Especially when Uncle Tag is here," a girl with brown pigtails said. "He eats sooo much."

"That's because he's a werewolf, Sammy," the older girl beside her said.

"Having me here isn't going to cause trouble, is it? I know Tag doesn't fully trust me," Eirlys said to Maryanne. She wasn't sure how he was related to her.

"My son will get over it," Maryanne replied. "He does not dictate to me who I invite to dinner, dear. Don't worry so."

"Okay then." Soon Eirlys was working alongside Sammy, whose full name was Samantha Maryanne Elizabeth Taggart (she was quite proud of her name) and her older sister, Melanie. They were laughing and having a blast while they finished with dinner.

********************A&O********************

Tag was almost to the front steps leading up to his mother's porch when he spotted a familiar brunette through the kitchen window. What was the little witch doing there? He'd just reached the front door when it opened and his mother stepped out and closed it behind her. "What is she doing here, ma?"

"Helping Sammy and Mel finish with dinner so we can eat," Maryanne replied.

"Ma, I told you she might be dangerous."

"Colin Taggart, that young woman in there has been here a week and nothing has happened. No animals have been slaughtered, no one has been harmed. If we're to shun someone because they might be dangerous then shouldn't we be shunning the entire pack? Werewolves can be very dangerous, after all," Maryanne countered. "She lost the only family she had a few short months ago. She's hurting, she's alone, and she just wants to find someplace to belong. I don't give a damn about Bran Cornick's paranoia. I know you have to follow his orders but I don't."

Tag ran a hand across his face. "Alright, ma, alright. You made your point. Maybe you're right, maybe it is just paranoia."

********************A&O********************

Eirlys spotted Tag seconds before Maryanne stepped out onto the porch. She tried to ignore what appeared to be an heated discussion between mother and son but she wasn't able to. She found herself hovering near the front door and caught snippets from both of them. She wasn't surprised the conversation was about her. What did surprise her, however, was how strongly Maryanne defended her. The woman barely knew her, why would she defend her so strongly? It was humbling.

By the time Maryanne and Tag entered the house Eirlys was helping Sammy to set the table. "We can put you next to Uncle Tag," Sammy said then looked up at her. "You're not afraid of werewolves, are you?" she asked.

"No, I'm not afraid of werewolves," Eirlys replied.

"Good. Some people are. I don't know why," Sammy said. She'd never seen the more dangerous side of werewolves.

"It's kind of like how some people are afraid of witches. There are some who do bad things so people think all are like that."

"Grandma says we should never judge people by things someone else does, only by what they do themselves."

"Your grandma is right but not everyone sees it like that," Lys said and glanced at Tag.

********************A&O********************

Walking into the house, Tag was hit by the sight of Eirlys in the dining room. She looked so comfortable there, helping set the table, as if she'd been doing that very thing for years. Listening to her conversation with his niece he felt ashamed because he'd been judging her not on her own actions but those of others. Sure he was influenced by Bran's attitude towards witches but he wasn't being fair to her. "Can I speak to you a minute?" he asked as he approached her.

"Of course." Lys tucked her hands in her pockets and followed him into the living room. Was he about to read her the riot act for accepting his mother's dinner invitation?

"I owe you an apology. You haven't done a single thing to deserve the way I've treated you."

She was a little startled by his words. "Thank you, Tag. I appreciate that. I know my kind have done things that have made the good ones look bad too, and that makes it hard to trust any of us, so thank you."

"Yeah, well, werewolves have had their own share of evil. We've got a twelve year old pack member who was attacked by a rogue who was a sexual predator. He'd previously attacked his own brother's step-daughter when she was thirteen, a step-daughter who is actually my daughter, that's a long story I can explain some other time if you want to hear it. Another pack member had an alpha who encouraged his pack to abuse her in order to break her spirit and had one of his wolves attack people at random so he could sell any survivors to someone who was doing experiments on them. I'm not so sure we have any room to judge."

Eirlys stared at him. "Goddess... what makes a person do something so... evil?" she asked and shuddered.

Tag studied her. "You genuinely don't understand that kind of evil, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't. Don't sound so surprised. We're not all bad, Tag. Some witches are actually good people."

"Yeah, I'm figuring that out," he replied. He was starting to see her in a completely different light. He was seeing her more as a person and less as a witch.

"Dinner's ready you two," Maryanne said, interrupting them. She gave her son a hard look. If he was still giving her guest a hard time she was going to have more words with him.

"No need to glare at me, ma," Tag said and kissed his mother's cheek. "I've apologized for my poor behavior."

"Good. Let's eat then," Maryanne said and motioned them both towards the dining room.

They all sat down to eat and Eirlys expected to feel out of place but she didn't. She felt at home there with the Taggart clan.

"So, Eirlys, what do you do for a living?" Cory, Tag's older brother, asked.

"Back in London I worked at a book and music store while attending university," she replied.

"You were in college? What were you studying?" Tag asked out of curiosity.

"Music production. I've always loved music and the idea of producing great artists is just very appealing to me," she replied. "I'm hoping to transfer everything here so I can finish my last two semesters."

"Record producer, eh? Interesting," Tag said after a moment. The more he learned about her the more he liked her.

Over dinner everyone shared their day, the girls talked about school, and then once the meal was over they all congregated in the living room to talk more. Eirlys found herself laughing at jokes, sharing some childhood memories, and enjoying herself immensely. She was having so much fun she didn't want the evening to end but it was starting to get late. "I should get back to the motel. Maryanne, thank you, so much, for the dinner invitation. I've really enjoyed this."

"You're welcome, Eirlys. You should come for dinner again some time," Maryanne replied. "If you give me a minute I can give you a ride back to the motel," she added.

"I've got it, ma. I'm heading home anyway," Tag interjected.

Maryanne studied her son a moment. "Alright then. Drive safe. And Eirlys, you're welcome here any time."

"Thank you, Maryanne," Eirlys replied. She waited until she and Tag were in his truck to speak again. "I like your family. You're very lucky," she said quietly.

Tag glanced at her a moment. "I agree, but why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because you have such a large, close-knit family. Most of my life it was just me and gran and now it's just me. Oh, I know I'm a distant relative of Bran and his sons but I don't **know** them. And given their frosty reception, I don't know if I ever will."

"Give it some time, they'll come around," Tag said as they reached the motel. "Sleep well, Lys," he added before she got out of the truck and went to her door.

Eirlys watched him go before she slipped into her motel room, put on some soft music, and tried to ignore the emptiness, the loneliness, eating at her.


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others.

********************A&O********************

Several days after her dinner with the Taggart clan Eirlys found herself sitting on the floor of her motel room with Sammy on one side of her and Mel on the other. The girls had come to ask her for help with a present for their grandmother's birthday. They wanted to do a photo collage slide to music and since she was so musically inclined they were hoping she could help them. "There are a lot of photos here. How did you manage to sneak them all out without Maryanne noticing?" Eirlys asked.

Melanie grinned. "Sammy asked grandma to make cookies and while they did I got into the photo albums."

Eirlys laughed at that. "That was very sneaky... and very smart."

"Thanks," Melanie said and her face shone with the praise.

So many of the photos were candid shots of the Taggart clan. The ones Eirlys found herself lingering on were photos of Tag. "This was taken after he was changed," she said, touching a photo of him in front of a Christmas tree.

"How'd you know that?" Sammy asked curiously.

Eirlys set two photos side by side. One was from Easter the other was the one with the Christmas tree. "If you look at his face you can see it. There's a tension in this one that isn't in the other. And see, even these, no tension," she said, picking up ones from when he was clearly a teenager. "Werewolves are violence contained in a human body, never forget that, Sammy. I know you've probably never seen one get angry but I have. They're very strong and can cause a great deal of damage without meaning to. All that violence, all that tension, it shows in the muscles and in the way they carry themselves."

The girls studied the photos then looked up at her. "Wow, you saw all that? That's so cool," Melanie said.

"I wish I was a werewolf," Sammy said all of a sudden.

Something in the little girl's voice caught Eirlys' attention. "Sammy? What's wrong?"

"Nufin," she mumbled.

Eirlys set the photo she was looking at down and focused all her attention on Samantha. "That's not true and we both know it. What's happened that makes you wish you were a werewolf?"

Sammy bit her lip and fidgeted for a moment. "Because then Cody Stevens would be afraid to pick on me," she finally said.

"How does he pick on you? What does he do?" Eirlys asked. She wanted to be able to tell Maryanne all she knew about the boy who was harassing her granddaughter.

"He pulls my hair, he pinches me, he tripped me the other day, and... he says I'm ugly and my mommy shouldn't let me go to school with the normal kids." The left side of her face bore a purple birthmark the size of a fist.

Eirlys pulled Samantha onto her lap and hugged her. "That boy is the one who is ugly. Only an ugly person would say and do those things to another." She wondered, briefly, if Sammy's mother would allow her to wear an amulet that would make the birthmark less noticeable. It was a simple charm, nothing dark about it, but she doubted the woman would allow it.

"You don't think I'm ugly?" Sammy asked with a sniffle that told Eirlys she was close to crying.

"No, poppet, I don't think you're ugly." Children could be so cruel to each other sometimes.

"Promise?"

There was such a mixture of hope and doubt in her voice that it nearly broke Eirlys' heart to hear it. "I promise."

"How come you didn't tell me Cody was being mean to you?" Melanie asked her sister.

"Cuz you'd beat him up and mama would be mad at you for getting in trouble at school," Samantha replied.

"So? You're my little sister, mama would understand," Melanie countered.

"Getting into a fight with someone should never be your first option," Eirlys said after a moment.

"Mama and grandma say that too," Mel admitted. She huffed. "Fine. But he needs to stop picking on her."

"We'll tell your grandma and let her decide how to handle it, alright?"

Samantha was reluctant about telling her grandmother she was being bullied at school but in the end she agreed. They finished the video and then Eirlys walked with them through the snow back to Maryanne's.

********************A&O********************

Maryanne Taggart was not the kind of woman to lose her temper easily. When she found out that one of her grandchildren was being bullied at school she was livid. "I know Cody's parents, they would **never** teach their son to treat others that way. I'm going to give Colleen a call and get her over here. We're going to get this taken care of, now," she said firmly and went to the phone.

Sammy fidgeted in her seat. "What if he gets mad at me for getting him in trouble?"

"His parents need to know so they can put a stop to it, Sammy," Eirlys said gently.

"Hello, Colleen, It's Maryanne. I'm well, you? I need to talk to you about something that is very troubling. Can you come by the house? Great, see you soon." Maryanne hung up and turned to her granddaughter. "Eirlys is right. The only way to get it to stop is by getting his parents involved."

"What if it doesn't stop, grandma? What if it only makes things worse for Sammy?" Mel asked.

"We'll cross that bridge only if we have to," Maryanne replied.

********************A&O********************

Colleen listened quietly while Samantha told her everything her son was doing. When Sammy got to the part about him calling her ugly she lost her composure. "I am going to wring his neck. His father and I have raised him better than this. I am so sorry for the ugly things he has said and done to you, Samantha. It **will** stop, and if he does anything else I'd like to know right away."

"Of course, Colleen," Maryanne said and looked at her granddaughter. "You heard her, Samantha. If he does anything else to you, you need to let me know."

"Yes, grandma," Sammy replied. She wouldn't disobey her grandmother.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Eirlys," Maryanne said once Colleen was gone.

"You're welcome. Once Sammy told me I knew you had to be told so you could get it taken care of. And I figured out Miss Sammy here was reluctant to tell anyone because she didn't want to get anyone in trouble."

Samantha gave her grandmother a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, grandma. I promise not to do that again."

"Alright, sweet pea. Go on home now, you two. I'm sure your mother is wondering what's taking so long." She watched her granddaughter's go before she turned to Eirlys. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm okay, I suppose. A little lonely, but I'm alive, that's something. I'll get out of here and let you get back to enjoying your evening," she said and left as well.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys was deep in thought as she approached the motel. That was the only explanation she had for why she didn't sense that she wasn't alone when a hand grabbed her arm. She turned and twisted her arm in an attempt to break free but the grip was like iron.

"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you," Samuel said and carefully let her go. "You were about to trip and if you hit your head you might have laid here for hours before anyone saw you, if I hadn't been here to keep that from happening."

Eirlys relaxed slowly. "Sorry. I was... thinking. Thank you." She looked up at him a moment then looked away. "What brings you by?"

"Me."

Eirlys spun around and found a petite blond standing not far from her. "Goddess, did you have to sneak up like that?"

"Sorry, I didn't think I was being sneaky. I'm Chloe Cornick, Samuel's wife and mate."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Eirlys Blackwood." She gave Chloe a puzzled look. "Your energy feels very... odd to me."

Samuel cocked a brow at her comment. She could sense energies? That, he knew, wasn't a common ability among witches, but it was something his uncle was able to do.

"You're probably picking up on the fact I am part fae as well as werewolf. It's an interesting story if you'd like to hear it sometime. Anyway, my husband was originally not planning on telling me you were related to him, until he was sure it was safe to, but I sweet talked him into it when I found out he'd come by to see you. I was curious about his visit and asked him about it."

"I can deny you nothing, my love," Samuel said with feeling.

Chloe smiled warmly at her mate before she returned her attention to Eirlys. "Have you had dinner yet?" she asked.

"No, I was just going to warm up some leftovers," Eirlys admitted.

"Don't do that. Come have dinner with Samuel and I." Amaris was with her grandparents, that was the only way Samuel would agree to inviting her to dinner this first time. He wouldn't put their daughter in harm's way and although Eirlys hadn't done anything yet, he was still being cautious.

"Are you sure?" Eirlys asked. "I thought you didn't trust me," she added to Samuel.

"I'm cautious, yes, but you've done nothing thus far to cause me to think you're just biding your time," he replied.

"Alright then. I'd like that. I'll follow you so you don't have to come back out to bring me back here," she said and went to where her bike was parked.

"She's a skittish thing," Chloe said once they were on their way back to the house. "That's not what you'd expect from a big, bad witch," she added.

Samuel chuckled. "No, it's not. I've been talking with Tag. It seems Maryanne has taken Eirlys under her proverbial wing. She had Eirlys over for dinner a few days ago and Tag mentioned to her how Jules cam to be pack and he told her about Anna's old Alpha back in Chicago, the things he did and had done, and he says she was genuinely shocked. Tag says she was honest when she said she didn't understand that kind of evil. I think da's concerns are unwarranted but he's not going to just take my word for it."

"He'll come around. We'll help him to see she's not a threat," Chloe said as they pulled into their driveway.

Eirlys stared at the house they pulled up in front of. It wasn't massive in size but it was still rather large and a lot bigger than anything she'd ever lived in. "Your home is beautiful," she said once they were inside.

"Thank you. I picked out some of the décor myself, but a lot of the credit goes to one of our pack members, Thea. She's amazing at interior decorating. A few of us are trying to convince her to start her own business."

"She's definitely gifted," Eirlys agreed.

"What about you? What do you do, Eirlys?" Chloe asked.

"Please, call me Lys. I was attending university to go into music production. I've always loved music, I can play several instruments, but my real passion is in helping others to achieve their dreams in the music world."

"You are definitely a Cornick," Chloe said with a soft laugh. "They're all musically inclined."

"It seems to be a family trait," Samuel agreed.

"Tell us a bit more about you, Lys. You're family, we should get to know you, and we'll do the same," Chloe said as she set the table for dinner.

"What would you like to know?" Lys replied and moved to help her.

"Whatever you feel comfortable sharing," Chloe told her.

Eirlys thought about it. If she wanted to be accepted she needed to be open with them. "I grew up in a small town in Wales, St. Asaph. It's a close-knit community, not as small as Aspen Creek but there are less than four thousand residents. To some that might seem like a lot, I suppose, but when you look at the larger towns and cities, with their double digit residency, it's not so big. My mum died in an accident when I was eight. It was so... odd. It happened at work, a beam came lose and fell on her. To this day I wonder..."

"You wonder if it wasn't really an accident," Samuel murmured.

"Aye. I was too young to be allowed into the factory to see if I could feel any magic and gran wouldn't go. She didn't want to risk exposing me to danger if it **was** magic related. Even before that, though, gran was the one who was always there, always guiding me. Mum was weak, really. She caved to pressure from others easily. Gran said she never understood what my da saw in her but it brought me into her life so something good came of it."

"What happened to your da?" Samuel asked.

"He was murdered, when I was a baby. We know it was murder, but no one was ever charged with the crime. I think that's why gran refused to go to the factory. She believed whoever killed my da killed my mum to draw her out."

"You loved your grandmother very much, didn't you?" Chloe asked gently.

"I did. She was my rock, my world. She taught me how to love the world around me and how to respect everything in it. She was a good person who saw the good in others. When she first got sick, our neighbor who was taking care of her offered to call me and she said no. She wanted me to stay at university, she wanted me to follow my dreams, not give them up to go play nursemaid to her. It wasn't until she knew she was going to die that she called me home." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "I remember the first time she encouraged me to pursue music. We were having a gathering, I was six years old, and someone had set a guitar down so they could get something to eat. I was fascinated by it and started strumming the strings. Within minutes everyone had stopped what they were doing to listen to me. My mum tried to scold me for touching something that wasn't mine. Old Collin told her 'It's alright, lass, let her play to her heart's content'. The next day Gran went out and got me my own guitar."

"It sounds like your grandmother was a remarkable woman," Chloe said softly.

"She was. She was also stubborn, strong-willed, and persistent. She never gave up and she instilled that in me."

"That explains your refusal to give up on winning da' over," Samuel said with a laugh.

"Aye, it does, doesn't it?"

Everyone jumped at the voice. When they turned towards the entrance leading into the kitchen there stood Bran.

"Da'? What are you doing here?" Samuel asked.

"Checking on things here," Bran replied. "I have to agree with my daughter-in-law, your grandmother sounds like a remarkable woman, one the world was blessed to have for a time."

Even Samuel was startled by the statement. That Bran Cornick was saying the world was blessed to have had a witch in it for a time was nothing short of a miracle. "That's surprising coming from you, da."

"Good to know I can still surprise you, son," Bran replied. "I'll let you get back to your dinner. Eirlys, we should talk soon," he added and slipped out as quietly as he'd entered.

"It seems he's starting to come around," Chloe said after a moment. "Let's sit and eat and I'll tell you a bit about me," she added to Lys. "I told you I was part fae. My great-great grandfather is full-blooded fae. He's among the fae who have two forms, a sort of shapeshifter. One of his forms is a direwolf, which is a distant cousin of the timber wolf, and we believe that's why it worked when I was attacked. I have just enough fae blood in me to have a little magic but not enough to stop the magic that turns a human into a werewolf."

"What can you do?" Lys asked curiously.

"I can make myself and at least one other, though there's speculation I could make more than one, we haven't tested it yet, disappear from view. It's how I escaped when my old pack was attacked by rogue government agents."

"Wait, what? Your entire pack?"

"Yeah. It was... ugly. They killed our alpha to disorient us enough to grab us all. They used a drug mixture with silver nitrate, ketamine, and a few other drugs, including one that allowed the others to cross membranes and get into our blood stream, that the son of Doc Wallace, he was the vet here, concocted. That's a whole different story, but anyway, it was used to control us and make us fight each other. I was the sole survivor mainly because our second and the last two remaining wolves sacrificed themselves so I could escape."

Eirlys stared in shock. "How could that happen so close to here?"

"Oh, no, it didn't. It started in the tiny town of Beach, North Dakota, where I'm from, but they moved us around to keep us from being detected, usually using abandoned warehouses. We were in Washington state when I escaped. Three members of the Columbia Basin Pack found me injured and unconscious."

"That's how we met," Samuel said, picking up the tale. "I was living out there as a lone wolf at the time but, due to a close tie with their alpha's mate, they called me in to look at Chloe's injuries. We had some bumps in getting to where we are now but I thank the gods I was there when she opened her eyes."

"Bumps he says. More like mountains," Chloe said and rolled her eyes. "See, Samuel here was involved with someone but he wasn't happy, I could tell, and I pursued him. One night, after I invited him to dinner, we got into a playful wrestling match over what tv shows we though were better, one thing led to another, and we ended up sleeping together. It was all good until the next morning when he tells me he's sorry, it shouldn't have happened. I thought he meant **we** were a mistake, what he'd meant was he should have broken things off with the person he was with first. Anyway, I left, came here to lick my wounds, and then found out I was pregnant Samuel showed up on my doorstep at the same time I found out and, well, things were tense for a bit but we worked it all out."

"I thought female werewolves couldn't have children," Eirlys said with a frown.

"Normally they can't but I'm a special case. My fae blood makes my shift almost instant and it's completely painless and I was able to carry our daughter for seven months until I went into labor. She's an happy and healthy toddler who drives her da crazy by randomly shifting to wolf form when he's trying to tuck her into bed at night."

Eirlys laughed softly at the image her words created. "I'll bet she's adorable."

"Oh, she is," Chloe said and shared a number of photos she had on her cellphone with her.

"Oh, she's beautiful," Eirlys said. Amaris had her mother's fine features and her father's darker hair.

"Thank you. She's our little miracle. We've been asked if we'd considered trying again and truthfully we **have** talked about it but..."

"We're not sure we want to risk it. Chances are Chloe will have no trouble, just like the first time around, but there is no guarantee of that."

"That makes sense, that you'd be a bit cautious," Eirlys agreed. "Even among humans, when there is nothing supernatural involved, every pregnancy is different and just because one went smoothly doesn't mean all will."

"Exactly," Samuel replied.

"Still, she's adorable."

The rest of the conversation revolved around filling Eirlys in on the Cornick side of the family. "Charles, like Chloe, is unique. He's the only other born werewolf and until our little angel came along he was the only one of his kind. Some would say he's cold and unfeeling but that's not true. He's just very reserved. But he has to be. He's da's enforcer, he's the one who has to deal with wolves who go rogue or break the rules. Oft times that means a death sentence for the wolf," he said in defense of his brother's less than warm attitude.

"That has to be hard on his psyche," Eirlys said softly.

"Aye, it is. Not that he'll admit to it. But his mate, Anna, and their adopted daughter, Juliana, keep him grounded. They give him something other than death to focus on."

"It's good he has that. This explains his warning to me the first day. He'd sounded so cold but now I know it's just that he keeps himself hard in order to do what he has to to protect werewolves."

"And to protect da," Samuel said. "He'll come around, eventually."

"If he doesn't so be it," Lys replied. She glanced at the time and sighed softly. "I should get out of here before it gets too late. Thank you, Samuel, for giving me a chance, and thank you both for dinner."

"You're welcome, Lys, and you're welcome here any time," Chloe replied. Her mate, wisely, didn't argue with her.

"I'll keep that in mind," Lys said before she left. Things were getting better and she was starting to feel welcome there in Aspen Creek. She didn't know if it would ever feel like **home** but at least she felt welcome. It was a start.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others.

 **A/N:** I'd intended on having the conversation between Bran and Beauclaire in this chapter but it will be the next one or this chapter would have been at least fifteen typed pages, if not more. So that is in the next chapter, which is written I just have to type it up.

********************A&O********************

"Let's take a walk."

Eirlys arched a brow at the werewolf at her door. It was early afternoon and the sunlight filtering through the trees was warm despite the chill in the air. Spring was fast approaching, Ostara, the Spring Equinox to those who were not of a pagan religion, was only a few days away, and although the trees weren't **showing** any signs yet, she could still feel Spring in the air. "Okay." She tugged her coat on, stepped out, and closed the door behind her.

The pair walked in silence for several minutes before Bran spoke. "Samuel tells me dinner went well and Chloe has invited you over any time you wish to visit them. You are winning people over quite quickly, all on your own merit."

"You sound surprised. I'm not a bad person, Bran, and I don't practice black magic. I wish..." Lys sighed softly. "Do you remember what it's like to not be accepted? Have you never wanted to belong **somewhere** so badly you could taste it only to be denied, not because of anything you've done yourself, but because of what others like you have done?"

There was a great deal of pain in her voice and Bran was hard-pressed to not react to it. "I have. It's painful and it makes you hate who you are, just a little," he finally said. "I cannot put aside a lifetime of mistrust in the blink on and eye, but I am willing to give you a chance."

"Thank you. That's all I ask," she said quietly.

They returned to the motel and Bran bid her goodbye. He would discuss with his mate when a good time would be to have Eirlys over for dinner.

********************A&O********************

Maryanne looked at the guest room she'd just finished cleaning out and nodded in satisfaction. There were fresh linens on the bed, everything was spotless, and the room smelled clean and fresh even to her human nose. Now all she had to do was go invite her guest to use it. She saw no reason for Eirlys to continue living in the motel when she had a perfectly good guest room that wasn't being used.

********************A&O********************

"Hello, Maryanne. What brings you by?" Eirlys said when she opened her door a few hours after her visit from Bran to find the older woman there.

"Hello, Eirlys, dear. I've come to offer you the use of my guest room so you don't have to stay in the motel anymore."

Eirlys blinked at her. "That's very sweet of you. Are you sure you want to do that though?"

"Of course I am. I have a perfectly good guest room going to waste and you deserve better than to have to live out of a cheap motel room."

Eirlys bit her lip a moment. "Okay," she finally agreed. She packed her bag, put it in the storage compartment on the back of her bike, and went to check out of the motel.

"Are you leaving?" Lisa asked. She'd come to like the young woman too. She was quiet, sweet, and always willing to lend a hand if it was needed.

"No, I'm not leaving Aspen Creek. Maryanne Taggart offered me the use of her guest room."

"Oh, good, I'm glad you're not leaving town. I'm sure I'll see you around, take care, Eirlys."

"You too, Lisa," she replied and left.

********************A&O********************

That evening when everyone sat down to dinner, Maryanne informed her family, but most especially her son, Tag, that she had a house guest. "As of this afternoon Lys has moved into the guest room. I thought it was silly of her to have to live out of the motel. She's been here plenty long enough to prove she's not a danger to anyone." The last was definitely aimed at her son.

Tag lifted his hands in surrender. "I'm not the enemy here, ma. I don't think she's a threat either." His gaze lingered on Eirlys a moment. She fit in with his family. It was as if she was meant to be there.

"Oh, Lys, mom said you helped with that situation Sammy was dealing with at school. I wanted to thank you for that," Shelli Taggart said.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to get her to open up about what was happening to her," Lys replied.

"That makes two of us," Shelli said.

"Situation? What situation?" Tag asked.

"A boy at school has been bullying Sammy and Lys got her to open up about it a few days ago. It's already taken care of, there's no need for you to go growling about it, son," Maryanne said before Shelli could.

Tag found himself liking Eirlys more with each passing day. The petite beauty had a heart of gold. "Lisa Stovall says Bran stopped by the motel earlier today. Everything okay?" he asked and realized he was genuinely concerned.

"Yes, everything's fine. He just wanted to talk and invite me to dinner after he checks with his mate on when would be a good time."

That got everyone's attention. "Are we talking about the same Bran Cornick who thinks no witch should be trusted?" Maryanne asked. "Well, will wonders never cease? I never thought I'd hear that about the Marrok," she added.

"It's certainly surprising," Tag agreed. "The Marrok has a long history of not trusting witches."

"Given what little I know about his past, and knowing how many of my kind succumb to the lure of power, it's understandable, to an extent," Eirlys said after a moment. The conversation shifted to the changing of seasons and how everyone was looking forward to warmer weather.

"Take a ride with me?" Tag murmured to Lys once dinner was done. "There's something I'd like to show you."

"Alright," she replied. She slipped her coat on and followed him out to his truck where he held the passenger side door open for her.

Tag drove them up into the mountains and stopped at a ridge that overlooked the town and surrounding area before he went to help her out of the truck. "Watch your stop," he murmured as he helped her step over some smaller boulders so she could get a better view closer to the edge but not too close.

Eirlys gazed out at the view and sighed softly. "It's beautiful up here. The view is breathtaking."

"That it is," Tag growled softly. His gaze was on the woman beside him.

Lys felt his gaze on her and blushed a little. "Why is it that every time I'm around you I have an almost irresistible urge to get as close to you as I possibly can?" she asked after a moment.

"If I knew the answer to that I'd be able to answer it for myself," he replied. "Hell, Lys, every damn time I see you I want to wrap you up on my arms and breathe in your scent. You smell like cinnamon and sandalwood to me."

"I'm not sure what the cinnamon is, but the sandalwood is from the soap I use. It's homemade, from sandalwood oil. I've always loved the scent." Her nose wrinkled a little. "I'll have to get some more oil soon, I'm almost out." She would have to get online and find a local supplier. She shifted closer to him without even thinking about it. "It amazes me how well werewolves can smell but I guess it makes sense."

"We are animals after all, and animals have a stronger sense of smell than humans do," Tag pointed out.

"That's why it makes sense," she replied.

"How do you know so much about werewolves, Lys?" he asked. Had she been intimate with one back in London, when she was going to school there? The thought angered him for no logical reason.

"Most witches know a good bit about werewolves, how else are we supposed to make sure our paths don't cross often? The relationship between wolves and witches isn't very good, especially in Europe. There's a lot of animosity, with good reason, because of our dark past. But a lot of my information comes from a professor I had. He was worried I'd report him to the University when I realized what he was, so when I didn't, we became friends. He'd had trouble in the past with a witch and I gave him an amulet that would help him stay safe as long as he wasn't attacked by very dark magic. To thank me for my help, he shared some insights into how werewolves think and why," she confessed.

"Just a friend?" Tag asked and tried to keep his voice neutral.

"Yes. Why, Colin Taggart, is that a hint of jealousy I hear?" she teased.

Tag growled but there was no heat behind it.

Lys laughed softly. "I think it's sweet," she said then motioned to the view. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Tag," she added.

"You're welcome," he said gruffly. He wanted to hold her but kept his hands to himself and after a few moments he sighed. "I should get you back to ma's before she starts to worry."

"I suppose you're right," Lys said quietly. "We don't want her to get worried over nothing."

Tag opened the passenger door for her and once they got back to his mother's home he sat there gripping the steering wheel. "I want to take you on a date sometime. Maybe go to dinner?" he said then shifted to look at her.

Eirlys studied him a moment. "A date? You sure you can handle me?" she teased.

Tag growled. "I can handle anything you throw at me, woman," he replied.

Lys laughed at that. "I'll bet you can. I'd like that, Tag. Very much." She leaned over and kissed him quickly. "Goodnight," she added and slipped out of the truck while he sat there processing the fact she'd kissed him.

Maryanne heard the truck and glanced out the window in time to see the kiss as well as the shocked look on her son's face. The young woman was definitely shaking him up but he needed it. He'd been alone a long time. Now that she knew about Luna she knew it was because he'd carried a flame for Luna's mother all that time. It seemed he was finally letting that go.

********************A&O********************

The morning of the Spring Equinox found Eirlys sitting cross-legged on a blanket with a tarp beneath it to keep the thawing snow from soaking through to her. She'd slipped out of the house while it was still dark and she greeted the sunrise with the burning of incense. She welcomed the changing of seasons and left an offering of dried herbs and fruit at the temporary alter she'd erected. It would fall apart on it's own, with the help of the animals she knew would come to eat the offerings she'd left behind.

Half an hour after sunrise she was gathering her things up when something on the air caught her attention. Lys frowned. For just a moment she thought she'd felt magic. Surely not. She had to be wrong. But what if she wasn't? She closed her eyes and focused, letting her senses expand out into her surroundings. There, just on the very edge of her limit, she felt it. Something was there but she wasn't sure **what** she felt, other than magic. She debated, should she investigate herself or speak with Bran? It only took a moment to make up her mind. If there was something happening Bran needed to know because if she said nothing, and it was a black witch, he would no doubt think the two were connected. The problem was she didn't know where his home was, so after going back to where she'd parked her bike, she headed to Samuel's instead.

********************A&O********************

Chloe heard the motorcycle approach and went to her front door to meet the rider. "Lys? What brings you by so early?" she asked, puzzled.

Eirlys got off and approached the porch. "I'm sorry to bother you this early, Chloe, but this is urgent. I need to speak to Bran, right away, but I have no idea where he lives so I came here to ask for directions."

"He actually lives on the other end of the property, but come on inside and I'll call him," Chloe replied and motioned her inside.

********************A&O********************

Bran was on the porch enjoying the early morning sun when his phone rang. "Good morning, Chloe. Is everything alright?" It was unusual for his newest daughter-in-law to call so early.

"I'm not sure. I have Lys here, she says she needs to speak with you and that it's urgent."

"I'll be right there," Bran said and hung up.

"He's on his way," Chloe told her guest. "Would you like some coffee or tea while you wait?" she offered.

"Tea would be great, thank you," Lys replied.

By the time Eirlys was sweetening her cup of tea Bran was there. "What's happened?" he asked.

"I was up in the mountains before sunrise to welcome the changing of seasons with the burning of incense and an offering of dried herbs and fruit. As I was packing up to leave I sensed someone, something, using magic. It was at the limit of my awareness, but it was there."

"It may have been Charles and Juliana performing a similar ritual but to be sure, I'm going to ask." _'Charles I know you are awake. I need to speak with you at Samuel's.'_ "He'll be here soon."

Eirlys frowned. "How do you know that?"

"It's an ability Bran has," Chloe said because she knew he wouldn't. "He can speak mind to mind with any wolf he knows. We just can't speak back. It's unsettling the first time it happens."

"That's intriguing," Lys said.

********************A&O********************

Charles arrived at his brother's home and when he saw the motorcycle he knew belonged to Eirlys he growled and headed inside. "What's wrong, da?" he asked and his gaze briefly moved to the witch before going back to Bran.

"Were you and Juliana performing one of your ceremonies a short while ago?"

"No, she's asleep. Why?"

"Then we have a problem. Eirlys, if you please," he said and motioned for her to explain.

She repeated what she'd told Bran and Charles studied her. "You can sense magic from a distance?"

"It's more the energy of it, but yes," she admitted. "If I'd been a little closer I would have been able to tell you if it was witch or fae."

"I need you to take me where you were when you sensed it and point me in the direction it came from," Charles told her. "You should stay here, in case this is a trap, da," he told his father. "I'll call you when I have something."

Eirlys blinked. "Trap? You think I'm setting a trap?" she asked, hurt in her voice.

"Not you. Whatever it is that's out there," Charles replied. Okay, maybe he still didn't fully trust her but he'd heard the truth in her voice, he knew she wasn't setting his da up to be attacked.

"I'm sending Tag, Asil, and Cyrus with you," Bran countered. He understood his son's desire to keep him there in case this was indeed a trap. He was the Marrok, the one werewolf who kept all of the wolves in North America in line. If something happened to him things could go badly very quickly. However, he didn't want Charles to go alone in case there was a fight.

They waited for the others to arrive and then Eirlys took them to where she'd welcomed the new day. "I sensed it to the northwest, away from the sunrise," she said and gave Charles a good direction to go in.

Charles had Tag and Cyrus shift before leaving. He and Asil were the fastest at it and this way they would have a combination of strengths to face whatever they found. "Go back to town," he told Eirlys before they left.

Eirlys watched them go before she turned to her bike with the intention of returning to Maryanne's but something stopped her. She had a sense of foreboding so strong it made her shudder. Something was wrong, really wrong.

********************A&O********************

They moved through the trees quickly. A mile from where they'd left Eirlys they came upon what initially appeared to be an elderly man sitting on a fallen tree. When Tag moved to step forward Charles stopped him. "Why have you come to Marrok territory?" he said to the old man.

"Werewolves are too connected to humans. They cannot be both our allies and theirs. If they are not our allies then they are our enemy," came the reply. The glamour dropped and suddenly where a wizened old man sat seconds ago a massive creature now stood.

Tag and Cyrus snarled in unison even as Charles shifted and charged at the fae. Asil stripped quickly and soon joined the fight.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys couldn't move through the trees as quickly as the wolves. She felt when the glamour dropped, the foreboding intensified, and she knew they were going to need help of the magical kind. She picked up her pace, fear for Tag and the others pushing her to move faster, as the sounds of fighting echoed in the morning air. 'Goddess, let me be able to aid them,' she silently prayed as she rushed headlong in their direction.

********************A&O********************

The wolves attacked with ferocity but it seemed they were doing little damage. The fae healed even faster than they did. Soon Cyrus was almost too hurt to keep fighting and Tag moved to intercept a blow that was intended to remove Cyrus' head from his body. Tag felt the claw rip into him and it damn near cut him in half.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys arrived just as Tag was hit. All she saw was blood flying, she could see his spine, and other parts that weren't supposed to see the light of day, and she was hit with white hot rage. The fae were weak against iron, well by Goddess she would pull the iron from the ground and bring the creature down. The problem was, with that powerful of a spell, a sacrifice had to be made. Eirlys was not a dark witch, she would not take a life, so she paid the price herself. A scream tore from her throat as the spell completed and seconds before blackness ate at her vision she saw thousands of cuts slice into the creature as the iron embedded itself in it's body.

********************A&O********************

Tag heard the scream and even with his spine severed he tried to crawl to where she'd collapsed. He reached a paw out to her before he passed out from pain and blood loss.

The spell did it's job. It allowed Charles and Asil to kill the fae, but at what cost? Charles shifted back to human and took the phone he'd had Asil put in his pocket then called his Da.

********************A&O********************

Bran was waiting for the call. He already knew there was trouble, already knew at least one of the wolves was injured, he felt it, but he didn't know exactly who or how bad it was. "Tell me what's happened, son."

"We need Samuel here, now, and a way to get two injured wolves and an injured witch back to town," Charles replied and told his father where to find them. Then he hung up and went to check on his pack members first.

By the time Charles was kneeling next to Tag Asil was back to human form. Since the other man was reluctant to check on the witch he went to her himself. "She's alive. I thought she wasn't powerful," he said.

"So she said," Charles replied. He would let his da deal with her.

Bran, Samuel, and several others arrived to get the injured trio back to Bran's where he could help his wolves heal. He sent Anna to handle Sage because she was bound to panic over Cyrus being hurt. It would be hours before he was healed and at least a day or more for Tag's injuries to fully heal and him to regain his strength.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys groaned as awareness came back to her. She hurt, all over, as if she'd had a bad case of the flu... or been run over by a truck. The pain was the worst in her eyes though. It felt like someone had carved them from their sockets. Her head pounded so hard she was nauseous and when she shifted in the bed the pain became unbearable. She barely managed to turn onto her side and lean over the edge of the bed before she got sick.

********************A&O********************

Chloe was sitting with Eirlys when she awoke. Samuel had already warned his mate about the possibility of a concussion so she was ready and managed to get a pot under the woman's head before she got sick on the floor. "Easy, don't move too much," she said softly. She helped her to lie back and got her some water to rinse her mouth out.

"Blimey, I feel like death warmed over," Eirlys muttered. When she opened her eyes only one was working and she frowned. She thought the other one was maybe swollen shut or something and touched her face.

Chloe stared at her. One eye was relatively fine, there was blood in it indicating broken blood vessels, but she seemed able to see out of it. The other one though... it was white, solid white, and the skin around it was so damaged it looked like something had tried to rip it from the socket.

"Mirror, please, I need to see," Eirlys whispered. She knew from the look on Chloe's face it was bad.

Chloe blinked and nodded before she found a hand mirror for her. "I... don't understand what happened," she said and held it for her.

Eirlys stared at herself in the mirror. "With great power comes great sacrifice," she said softly. "I would not, could not, take a life, not even an animal's, in order to save them, so I paid the price myself. I didn't expect to survive," she admitted. That she had made her shudder because it meant she had more power in her than she ever knew and that was terrifying. She'd always believed her gran was the more powerful witch, how could she have been so wrong? It didn't matter. She'd gotten no rush from the power in her spell, only revulsion that she'd had to resort to such means to begin with.

"I'm so sorry, Lys. You need to rest, to regain your strength. I'll have Samuel give you something to help with the pain," Chloe told her and went to go get her mate.

********************A&O********************

The Cornick men sat in Bran's study discussing what had happened. Asil had already offered his insight then left to be with his mate, who needed him, as her brother was one of the injured wolves.

"She's awake," Chloe said as she entered the study. "I told her I'd get you to give her something to help her rest and help with the pain she's in," she told her husband.

"Not until I speak with her," Bran said and rose from his chair.

"Bran, she's been through a lot," Chloe said.

"We need answers," he replied, ignoring her, and left.

Chloe sighed softly. "She said something about how with great power comes great sacrifice and that she paid the price herself. Her left eye... it's white and the skin is damaged, as if, I don't know, something tried to pull it out of it's socket," she added with a shiver.

Samuel and Charles shared a look. She'd risked her own life with that spell? That was completely unexpected and they knew their da was going to be thrown when he questioned her and discovered it for himself.


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others.

 **A/N:** I apologize for the lapse in updating this and my other fics. Life sometimes gets in the way of writing and this is one of those times. I am still working on them a little at a time. Hopefully my muse will go into overdrive again soon and I'll have more initiative to write so things keep flowing. Rest assured, I will not leave any of my stories unfinished, it just may take time to actually update them!

Also, keep in mind that I am taking things a little AU from the way Patty has written her series, but I'm still trying to keep as much of the events in Fire Touched as close to my stories as I possibly can. While there is a little crossover taking place, this is still centered in Montana so it is staying in the normal Alpha and Omega section instead of being moved to the crossover section of FF.

********************A&O********************

Bran knocked before he entered the room. "I know you need to rest but I need some answers," he said as he approached Eirlys.

Eirlys had expected him. Why? Call it a hunch. "I expected as much," she said and for the moment she kept her eyes closed and her head tilted enough that her hair covered her left eye, shielding the damage from his view.

"What did you kill for that spell? What life was lost so you could break the fae's defenses so it could be killed?" Bran asked her.

"None," she replied. She brushed her hair back from her face and opened her eyes to look at him. "I didn't expect to survive but it would have been worth it if it kept everyone safe."

Bran reached out and touched her left cheek just below her eye. "You risked your own life for my wolves. Why?"

"Not just them; everyone here in Aspen Creek. If the fae got past the wolves who went to fight it no one in Aspen Creek would have been safe, but I couldn't take the life of another. That kind of magic, it's evil, and it leaves a darkness on the soul."

"So you paid the price yourself," Bran said quietly. "I have been very wrong about you, Eirlys. When you feel ready, we'll help you to bring the rest of your belongings here from Wales. This is your home now," he told her. "I'll send Samuel up," he added and left.

********************A&O********************

Samuel set up an I.V. to replenish the fluids she'd lost and gave her something to help her sleep and ease the pain she was in.

"How is he?" Eirlys asked. "Tag, how is he?" she added. "Please tell me he didn't die."

"He didn't die. It'll be a few days before he's fully healed, but he'll be fine. Rest now," Samuel replied.

Eirlys nodded and let sleep drag her under. By morning she no longer felt like death warmed over. She was still sore but it was a dull ache and that she could deal with. The hardest part was having to adjust to no longer being able to see out of her left eye. There was still discomfort behind the eye, she knew it would hurt for a while because of the damage the spell did, but at least she was alive. A soft sigh escaped her and she moved to get up.

"Wait, don't try to get up yet. Samuel needs to come remove the I.V. first."

Lys turned her head to see the person who spoke. She was a pretty, petite brunette that was most definitely a werewolf. "Who are you?" she asked and her voice croaked out.

"I'm Aria Cornick. Bran is my husband. Easy. Let's get you propped up and I'll get you some water before I go get Samuel," Aria replied. She helped Lys sit up, propped pillows behind her to make it more comfortable, then poured her a glass of water. "What you did out there was very brave," she said softly.

"Some might say it was stupid," Lys replied after a moment. "But I'd do it again if I had to," she added. "Is Tag all right?" she asked.

"He's healing," Aria replied. "He's one of the most dominant wolves in the pack, the only ones more dominant than him are Bran, Charles, Samuel, and Asil, so he has that advantage; it's helping him to heal faster than a lesser dominant wolf would and Bran is helping to speed the healing process. It's one of the advantages to being the Alpha. That thing... it almost cut him in half."

"I know. I saw. It would have killed all of them and then come here and slaughtered the whole town. I couldn't let that happen."

"We're grateful to you for that, Eirlys. I'll go and get Samuel," Aria said and left.

********************A&O********************

Anna was sitting at Tag's bedside when his eyes slowly opened. "It's good to see you awake," she said softly.

Tag blinked several times. Sometime in the night he'd shifted back to human and Samuel had re-bandaged his wounds. "Lys? Is she...?"

"She's alive. Sore but alive," Anna told him. When he started trying to get out of bed she put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, don't try to get up. That thing almost cut you in half. It'll be a few days before you're fully healed even with Bran's help."

"Need to see her, need to see for myself," Tag growled.

"Don't make me zap you, Tag," Anna said and knew he would know exactly what she meant. "I'll go see if she's awake but only if you stop trying to get up."

Tag sighed, closed his eyes, and nodded. "Alright, Anna. I just need to know she's okay, really okay."

Anna reached down and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "If she's awake, I'll bring her in to see you," she promised and left to go see if the witch was awake yet. Tag was certainly taken with the woman.

********************A&O********************

Samuel was just finishing up removing the I.V. when Anna knocked and entered. "Hey, Samuel. Is the patient well enough to get out of bed?" she asked.

"If she feels up to it, yes," Samuel replied. "Why? What's wrong?" he added.

"Oh, nothing. We just have a very stubborn wolf downstairs who refuses to stay put unless he sees for himself that she's okay," Anna replied.

"Oh, is that all?" Samuel asked and shook his head. Then he turned to his patient. "If you feel up to getting out of bed, the only restriction I have is that you take it easy."

"I'll try, Samuel," Lys replied. "Could I get a pair of sunglasses?" she asked. "I don't want to startle him with this until I have the chance to tell him how it happened," she added with a wave to her left eye.

"I'll go see if Aria has a pair you can borrow," Anna told her. She wasn't unsettled by the sight because she'd seen worse before, with Moira Keller, the witch and mate of Tom Franklin, the Emerald City Pack's second, but she understood why Lys might be reluctant for others to see it. She wasn't gone long but when she returned it was with a pair of sunglasses in hand. "Success," she said.

By that point Lys was out of bed and dressed. Aria had loaned her something to wear since all of her clothes were at Maryanne's and they were very close in size. "Thank you, Anna. May I ask, why aren't you bothered by my eye?"

"I've seen something like it before, only worse. The witch I saw, her right eye was gone, the left was damaged by a spell that left he completely blind. She's the mate of the Emerald City Pack's second and, until now, she's the only witch Bran or Charles would trust because she's proven herself to be worthy of it."

"Emerald City?" Lys asked curiously.

"Seattle, Washington. That is one of the nicknames for the city and the pack adopted it for their name."

"Ah. Interesting." She moved a little slowly at first, because she didn't want to overdo it, but by the time they were on the first floor and headed for the basement she was walking at almost her normal speed.

"Let me go in first," Anna said once they reached the room. "I can get you a chair to sit in and I can make sure he is calm before you go in," she added.

Lys nodded. "Alright. I know injured werewolves can be testy."

"You know quite a bit more about werewolves than I would expect from someone who has never really been around them."

"I had a professor who was a werewolf. Once he realized I wasn't going to say anything we talked a bit. He gave me insight on wolves and I gave him insight on witches."

"You're quite unique, aren't you?" Anna asked. "That's a good thing. Being just like everyone else would be boring."

Eirlys laughed quietly. "True, it would."

Anna nodded at her and slipped into Tag's room. She sent soothing energy to him and moved the chair closer to the bed.

"Where is she?" Tag growled.

"She's outside. I wanted to make sure it was safe before she came in," Anna replied.

"I wouldn't hurt her." At the look she gave him he cocked a brow. "I'm not some newly changed wolf, Anna," he pointed out.

"Okay, okay," Anna said and went to open the door.

Lys stepped past her and moved carefully to the chair. She ached from the walk but it was a general soreness that let her know her muscles were sore but it wasn't anything permanent. She sat and turned her attention to him.

"Lys?" Tag frowned at the glasses on her face. "What's with the sunglasses?"

Eirlys was quiet for a moment. "I didn't want to upset you," she said softly.

"Upset me? What's wrong?" he asked and if Anna hadn't been there keeping him calm he'd have growled.

Eirlys looked away from him while she removed the glasses. Then she closed her eyes and turned back to him so he could see the damage around her left eye. She took a deep breath and finally opened her eyes to look at him.

Tag stared a moment then his hand lifted to touch her left cheek. "What... how did this happen?" he asked and this time he did growl.

"Any powerful spell requires that a price be paid," she said after a moment. "I refused to take the life of another living thing to fuel my spell so I paid the price myself."

"You could have died," he growled. "Why would you do something so foolish?"

"Because if I didn't you, Charles, Asil, and Cyrus would have died in that clearing and the fae would have continued into Aspen Creek to kill everyone here. I couldn't let that happen."

"She saved all of us, Tag," Anna said from the door. She was staying back to give them a semblance of privacy.

"I feared you were dead, Lissie," Tag said after a moment. "You hit that damn thing with **something** that made it bleed and I saw you collapse. I tried to get to you."

Lys smiled at the pet name then blinked. "You had a severed spine, Tag."

"I know. I still tried to crawl to you," he replied.

She was stunned to realize she meant that much to him. Before she could say anything else the door opened and Bran entered.

Tag was unaware Bran knew exactly what happened and tried to get up to stand in front of Lys, to protect her from him.

Bran looked at him. "Rest easy, I'm just here to talk."

"She didn't hurt anyone but herself," Tag said with a slight growl as his control began to slip.

"I am fully aware of what transpired in the clearing," Bran replied. "Calm yourself," he added then turned his attention to Eirlys. "I am here to request your presence at a meeting with one of the Grey Lords."

"Esgusoda fi? I mean, excuse me?" she asked. The request had startled her so much that she'd spoken in Welsh and corrected it for Tag's and Anna's benefit. She was betting Bran could carry a conversation with her in her native tongue.

"You seem to have a way of sensing when they're performing magic, it's a talent my brother had as well. I would like you there."

"I'd be honored," Lys said and meant it. If he was asking for her assistance it meant he trusted her and that was humbling.

"We leave in an hour. That should give you time to eat and change your clothes. Do you have hiking boots?"

"Yes, but I need a ride back to Maryanne's. My bike is still where I left it when I took them to the area where I first sensed the magic," she replied.

"I will have my mate drive you." As he reached the door he stopped and turned to look at her. "Thank you for keeping my son alive," he said and left.

"You shouldn't be doing this, you need your rest," Tag said once Bran was gone.

"I have to, Tag. If there's a chance this is a trap, I need to do what I can to help."

Tag gripped her hand "Be careful. And come back," he growled.

"I'll do my best," Lys said before she leaned over and brushed her lips across his. "Rest and heal," she added before she too left the room.

Aria met her at the door. "Charles will pick you up when it's time to go," she said.

"Alright. Thank you for the ride," Lys replied.

Aria studied her. "You are family, Eirlys, and you risked your own life for everyone here. You don't need to thank me."

"I just did what was right," Lys said softly. She was quiet as Aria drove her to Maryanne's. Once there she slipped the glasses on and got out. She wasn't looking forward to the questions Maryanne was going to have for her.

********************A&O********************

Maryanne saw the car pull up and met Eirlys at the door. "Tell me what's happened. I know Tag has been hurt but that's all I was told."

Eirlys sighed softly. "There was.. an attack, a fae that was sent here by a Grey Lord. It was relatively immune to damage and when it tried to kill Cyrus Tag got between them. He's going to heal, Maryanne, it's just going to take a few days for him to be completely healed."

"How did they kill it and why are you wearing sunglasses inside?" Maryanne asked.

Lys hesitated a moment before she explained what happened. "They were able to kill it after a spell I did that pulled iron from the ground. Most fae can be injured by cold iron. I flung it at the fae and it couldn't heal the injuries. It allowed Charles and Asil to finally kill it." She took a deep breath and continued. "With powerful spells there is always a price that needs to be paid. A black witch would use the life force of another to fuel the spell, I chose to pay the price myself," she said and removed the glasses so Maryanne could see the damage.

Maryanne stared at her. "You did this to yourself to protect my son?"

"And everyone else in Aspen Creek," Lys admitted. "If that fae had killed the wolves that went after it, it would have come here and killed everyone. I couldn't let that happen."

"I have no words to compare to what you've willingly sacrificed," Maryanne said softly. "Thank you just isn't enough," she added.

"You don't need to say anything," Lys replied. Then she sighed. "Bran asked me to accompany him to a meeting with one of the Grey Lords. Charles will be here soon to pick me up but I have enough time to change clothes and eat something."

"You go change then and I'll fix you something to eat," Maryanne told her. "Unless you need help with something?" she added. She didn't know if the vision in Eirlys' right eye was damaged or not.

"No, it's okay. My vision is a little blurry in my right eye, but I don't think it's damaged, just strain and adjusting to not being able to see out of my left eye anymore," Lys replied.

"Alright then, dear, I'll let you get dressed," Maryanne said and left, closing the door behind her.

Lys stood there a moment before she went to the closet and pulled out a pair of dark green cargo pants. She paired them with a long-sleeved shirt in a dark gold color, put her hair in a braid to keep it out of her face, then tugged on socks and her hiking boots. She didn't know what to expect, and she wasn't sure how much help she would be, but she would do her best. She grabbed several charms, each baring the same sigil, said a small incantation over them, then slipped them in a pouch. She would place them around the building the meeting was to take place in. They would help her to detect any subtle magics that may be cast during the talk. That done she went into the kitchen and sat at the small table that Maryanne usually ate breakfast at.

"Here we are," Maryanne said and set a plate in front of her. She added a glass of juice and then sat with her own lunch.

"Chicken salad sandwich, this is really good," Lys said after the first bite. "I taste basil, thyme, and tarragon, I don't think I've ever had a chicken salad sandwich with herbs in it," she added.

"It also has parsley," Maryanne told her. "And it's Tag's favorite. I'd made it before I found out he was hurt."

"You should take him some, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you and that way you'll know he really is okay," Eirlys told her.

"Are you sure? I can wait for Charles to come get you before I go," Maryanne offered.

"No, I'm fine, I give you my word. Go see your son, Maryanne," Lys urged.

"Alright then, dear. You be careful. It would hurt more than one member of the Taggart clan if something happened to you," Maryanne said and left to head over to Bran's to see her son.

Half an hour later Charles arrived. Eirlys slid into the truck, buckled herself in, and sat quietly as he drove them away from town.

Charles could admit, at least to himself, that he admired her strength and determination. He was also grateful to her for what she'd done, not for himself but more for his family. The thought of what that thing would have done if it had gotten to Anna or Juliana chilled him to the bone. They all owed her a great deal. It was the one thought that played through his mind as he drove them to the rendezvous point with his da.

********************A&O********************

Eirlys tried to take in every detail as they moved through the trees towards the cabin where the meeting was to take place. She'd started out walking on her own but due to her depth perception being shot all to hell she ended up having to let Bran take her arm and help her. It irritated her but she wasn't so proud that she would risk getting hurt just to save face. Charles had wanted to be the one to guide her but Bran needed him to be on guard so he'd relented. It was his instinct to protect his da and although he knew Eirlys wasn't a threat, she'd proven that, old habits died hard.

As soon as they reached the cabin Bran released Eirlys' arm and stepped back to give her room. He didn't want to interfere with her ability to sense magic.

Lys let her senses stretch out. They tasted Bran and Charles then eased past them because they were known to her, not a threat. Out and out she sent her gift, out to it's furthest reach. "Nothing. There is no trap laid," she murmured.

"I want you to remain on guard," Bran said and headed towards the cabin.

"Give me but a moment and I will have the cabin secured," she told him and moved around to place the charms. They were silent, for the moment, they needed one more step to work. As she stepped inside she drew a sigil of protection on the frame of the door and pricked a finger to add a bit of her blood to power it. As she did so the charms flared but only one gifted in magic would sense it.

"What was that?" Charles growled.

"Protection sigil, powered with my blood. The sigil is also on the charms I placed around the cabin. If anyone tries to use subtle magic from outside, I'll know it. It's not as powerful as fae magic, if they really push it they'll break the power in the sigil, but I'll know that's what they're doing so we'll have fair warning."

********************A&O********************

Alistair Beauclaire arrived at the cabin and strode to the door. He was unaware that while he was there, in Montana, those who were working against him to gain that which Underhill desired most were sending a troll into the Columbia Basin Pack's territory. Nor did he know that the attack in Montana was set up to get him out of the way, even if only for a little while.

Charles let the fae in and stepped to his da's side. If the fae attacked he would take the brunt of it.

"Beauclaire." Bran's voice was calm, neutral, as he nodded at the man.

"Bran Cornick. I am here to discuss the attack on your lands. I am aware the fae sent was killed. Not an easy feat." His gaze went to the woman who stood a little off to the side. "I was under the impression that you neither liked nor trusted witches," he added.

Bran gave a slight shrug. "We are here to discuss the breach of agreement from the fae," he said, refusing to explain Erilys' presence.

Beauclaire inclined his head. He was extremely powerful but he knew the man across from him had his own strength and since so few of the fae were immune to cold iron, if it came to war there would be deaths, many deaths, on both sides. He hoped to avoid the bloodshed if he could. "There are not so many fae that I would desire war between us and the wolves. We have power, but you know our greatest weakness. Regardless of who may win, too many lives would be lost."

"What do you suggest?" Bran asked, watching him.

"We renew the truce between fae and wolves. There will be no retaliation for the death of one of our kin, he attacked and you defended your people. The one who sent it here will be found. But make no mistake, I will not look the other way should it happen again."

"Fair enough," Bran replied. The truce was renewed and Beauclaire left. Bran watched him go.

"What do you think, da?" Charles asked.

"We will have to wait and see what happens," Bran replied.

"I'll drive you back to Maryanne's," Charles told Eirlys.

"No, I'd prefer to go check on Tag, if that's alright with you, Bran," Eirlys said.

"I'll take her. Go home, son," Bran said and once she retrieved the charms and cleared the sigil from the cabin he escorted her to where he'd parked his Humvee. There was silence between them as he headed back to his home but it wasn't uncomfortable.

********************A&O********************

Several hours later all hell broke loose. There was an attack in the tri-cities, in the territory of the Columbia Basin Pack. Bran found himself faced with a difficult decision thanks to Mercy basically challenging the fae. If he hoped to save the werewolves from being decimated he had to make the tough calls.

"You understand what this means" He'd already argued with Charles over his decision but he was the Marrok, his word was law. He watched as Adam nodded and then he said the words that severed the ties between the Columbia Basin Pack and himself. "Prepare yourselves, there will be challenges." With that it was done.

"You're wrong for doing this, da," Charles growled and left. He knew as soon as his mate found out she was going to flip out over it and Samuel, he was going to be livid. Mercy was family and Bran had just made her a target for every werewolf in the country.

********************A&O********************

Bran sat at his desk and watched the clock. He knew it was only a matter of time before... ah, there he was now.

"How could you do that, da?" Samuel asked. He'd heard from his brother that his da had cut the Columbia Basin Pack off from his protection.

"It had to be done," Bran replied.

"The hell it did. You just signed Mercy's death certificate. It's not just Adam they'll go after, or just the wolves, they'll go after **her**. She's pack **and** Adam's mate and you just painted a target on her back!"

"Enough. This is not open for discussion. I did what I had to to protect the wolves, even if it was a difficult decision to make."

"I'm sure that will be a huge consolation when she's dead," Samuel said and stormed out. He needed to discuss with his mate what they could do to help keep Mercy alive, if anything. Mercy was like a sister to him, he'd be damned if he was going to turn his back on her like his da had.

********************A&O********************

Tag felt a hand in his and opened his eyes slowly to find Eirlys there. "You're back," he growled.

"I am. And yes, I'm unhurt," she said before he could ask.

"How did you...?"

"Woman's intuition," Lys said with a smile. "I knew you'd be worried but I swear I'm fine." She bit her lip a moment. "I can't shake the feeling that this problem with the fae isn't over, though."

"Gift of foretelling?" Tag teased.

"No. At least, I've never had anything like that before. I just have a bad feeling and I can't explain it."

Tag squeezed her hand gently. "I'm sure it'll be fine. My ma came by earlier. She was mighty proud of you for what you did."

"I just... did what was right," she said but she was humbled by the words.

Before Tag could say anything else he heard the front door open with a bang despite the fact they were in the basement. He knew Lys couldn't hear it but he sure did. What the hell was going on to make someone fling the door open that hard?

********************A&O********************

When Charles arrived home in a foul mood Anna had to convince him to talk to her, to tell her what happened. "That bastard," she growled. "How can he **do** that?" she added.

"Anna," Charles said in an attempt to calm his mate.

"No. Don't you dare try to tell me to calm down. This time he's gone too far, Charles," she growled and stormed out of their house. She almost squealed her tires in her anger to get to her father-in-law's home to give him a piece of her mind.

Anna didn't bother knocking, she just stormed into the house, allowing the front door to slam against the wall, then did the same to Bran's office door. "How could you do this, Bran? How could you throw an **entire pack** away just to suck up to the fae?"

Bran sat at his desk watching his daughter-in-law. "I did what I had to do. There are three thousand wolves under my protection, many of whom are unhappy with the changes Adam has allowed in his pack. This newest development required a decision that will reduce the amount of risk and cost the least number of lives."

Anna narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you remember Adam's and Mercy's wedding? Do you remember what you told him? Because I sure do. 'I give you that which is most precious to me'. I guess she's not so precious after all. Or is it because she's not really related? Is that it? You sentenced her and Luna both to die! You can make up all the excuses you want to ease your conscience but that is what you did. I can see now how much worth me, Chloe, Jules, even Lexi have in your eyes. Absolutely none. You'd throw us away, sentence us to die just as easily, in order to save face with the fae. I used to admire you, I used to respect you, now all I do is loathe you!" With that she stormed out.

Bran almost roared at his daughter-in-law. The entire time she'd been talking he'd tried to shut her up with a glare. That was the problem with Omegas, they couldn't be controlled.

Downstairs, Tag only caught bits and pieces of the conversation but it was enough to rile his wolf. "I need to get up," he said with a growl.

Eirlys put her hand on his shoulder. "Tag, what are you doing? You're still hurt," she said because she could feel the tension in him.

"I need to find out what happened," he insisted. "I need to talk to Bran, or Anna... someone."

"Okay. Just lie back and I'll give you my phone so you can call Anna," she said softly.

********************A&O********************

Anna frowned when her phone rang. If it was Bran she was going to ignore him. The number wasn't familiar though so she reigned in her temper and answered. "Hello?"

"Anna, what's happened? I heard you and Bran arguing but I couldn't make out what, exactly, is going on," Tag said when she answered. He'd put the phone on speaker so that Eirlys would hear what Anna said as well.

"Oh god, Tag," Anna said when she heard his voice. He needed to know, this affected him too. "There was another fae attack, this time in Washington. The Columbia Basin Pack beat it and Mercy basically challenged the fae, told them that they would defend their territory and everyone in it. Bran, the bastard, cut them out of his protection. He made them rogues."

Tag saw red. "What?" he growled. "I need... I need to go. I need to get to Washington, I need to protect Luna." Again he moved to get out of bed but this time Lys didn't try to stop him.

"You get to the airstrip, we'll get you to her," Anna promised. "Even if I have to fly you there myself," she added. Charles had been teaching her how to fly the plane, she wasn't as good as he was but she could do it if she had to.

"I'll be there," he gritted out. He had to stop once he was sitting up to catch his breath.

"Let me call your mother, she'll help us get to the airstrip," Lys offered.

"Okay, beautiful," Tag growled. "I'm going to shift while we're waiting. I won't hurt you, I swear it, but it sounds horrible. Just... let me come to you when I'm done."

Lys touched his cheek a moment. "Okay," she said and while he started the painful process of shifting to wolf she called Maryanne's number.

When her phone rang Maryanne knew who was calling because she'd put Eirlys' number in her phone. "Eirlys? Is everything okay?" she asked, voice tinged with worry.

"I'm not sure. Tag and I need you to come get us. He needs to go to Washington state. He said something about needing to protect someone named Luna."

"I'll be right there and I'll explain who Luna is once you're in the car. I can hear him shifting in the background," Maryanne told her before she hung up and headed back over to Bran's.

Lys winced at all the pained noises coming from him. When he finally put his head on her lap she ran her fingers through his fur. "Your fur is so soft," she murmured. His tongue licked her hand and she laughed a little. "Let's go, your mother should be here any minute," she told him and went to the door to open it for him.

They were quiet as they headed upstairs and down the hall towards the front door. They were almost to it when Bran stepped out of his study. "Where are you going?" he asked, one brow cocked at Tag.

"Tag doesn't want to stay in that room anymore," Eirlys said. It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth either. For just a moment she thought Bran was going to order Tag back to the room.

"Don't push yourself, and don't put your family at risk," Bran told him after a moment and let them go.

Maryanne was waiting when they got outside. She watched as Eirlys opened the back door so Tag could get into the backseat before she slid into the passenger seat next to Maryanne. "Where am I taking you?" Maryanne asked. "And why does my granddaughter need to be protected? Has something happened to her pack?"

"His daughter is a werewolf too?" Lys asked. "His insistence to go to her makes sense," she said before she continued. "There was a fae attack in the territory of the Columbia Basin Pack. The pack defeated it and the Alpha's mate issued a challenge to the fae, told them that they would protect their territory and everyone in it. Bran declared the entire pack rogues. Tag called Anna and put the phone on speaker so I heard everything. Anna is meeting us at an airstrip to fly us to Washington."

"Oh god," Maryanne whispered. "You keep her safe, Colin Taggart, or else," she told her son.

Tag growled in agreement. He would keep his daughter safe no matter what.

Once they reached the airstrip Maryanne handed Eirlys her credit card. "Your bag is at the house and Tag doesn't have a wallet right now either, you'll need this, dear. Be careful and let me know when you get there, please, or I'll worry myself sick."

"I will, Maryanne," Lys promised.

Tag was hurting, a lot, by the time they got on the plane. He laid near Eirlys once the door was closed and tried to relax. He didn't think he would be able to but Anna's soothing abilities made it easier and soon he drifted off to sleep.

Anna waited until she was sure Tag was out to speak. "Did he tell you about Luna?" she asked Eirlys.

"No Maryanne was going to but she got distracted when I told her why we needed to go to Washington. She called Luna her granddaughter so I assume Tag is her father?"

"He is. He only found out a few months ago. She's from New Orleans. Tag went down there just before he was changed and had a month long fling with Luna's mother. When he came back to Aspen Creek he had no idea he was leaving a child behind. Luna actually became part of our pack for several years because of some... awful things that happened to her in her old pack. Anyway, Luna decided she wanted to get back out in the world and joined the Columbia Basin Pack where she met her mate. They came for a visit, Cyrus joked about how her and Tag looked a lot alike so they thought it would be cool if they were distant cousins or something. It turned out that he's her dad," she explained. "See, here's the thing. Luna is a submissive wolf, so even though she'll fight if she has to, it's not in her nature. Tag took what happened to her in her old pack really hard because he felt like he failed her by not being there to protect her. I knew, when I told him about what Bran did, he'd be determined to go to the tri-cities to help keep her safe."

Lys ran her fingers through his fur while Anna talked. "He shouldn't blame himself for something he had no control over."

"He's a dominant wolf and she's his daughter, he can't help it."

"He's a good man," Lys said softly.

"Yeah, he is," Anna agreed. "Why don't you rest. I'll wake you before we land."

Eirlys nodded and settled back in her seat to try to do that.

Anna left them alone and went to the cockpit. "We should call and let someone know we're coming, so there's someone waiting for us when we land," she told her mate.

Charles silently handed her his phone. They'd dropped Jules off with Samuel and Chloe so they didn't have to explain to her what was going on just yet. Jules had gotten pretty close to her 'Aunt Mercy' ever since Mercy came for her birthday party and neither Charles nor Anna wanted to tell their daughter about what Bran had done. They weren't sure she'd understand it.

Anna would have preferred to call Luna but Adam was still Alpha even if Bran had cut them loose. "Here goes nothing," she said and dialed his number.

********************A&O********************

Adam frowned at the number on his phone. "Good evening, Charles. Has something else happened that the Marrok's enforcer felt I should know about despite the fact I, and my pack, are now rogues?" Mercy had put the number in his call list at some point in the past.

"Hi, Adam, it's Anna, not Charles. I'm using his phone," Anna said. "Um, sort of. I'm calling to let you know that in a couple of hours we'll be landing at the private airstrip outside of Finley to drop off two passengers; Colin Taggart, Luna's father, and his companion, Eirlys Blackwood. I think you guys know her since she got the directions to Aspen Creek from Mercy."

"Tag I'm not surprised by because, as you said, he is Luna's father, but why is the witch with him?"

"They're taken with each other. Oh, and Tag is going to be really hungry when we land. He was hurt badly in the attack we had here. He's healing, and shifting to wolf again is helping him to heal even faster, but that means he'll be ravenous when he wakes up again."

"We'll come prepared," Adam assured her. "Is this visit sanctioned by Bran?" he asked.

Anna hesitated a moment before she answered. "I doubt it. He'll be pissed when he finds out but I know Tag, if Bran tries to force him to go back he'll ask to leave the pack and join yours. He's not going to let his daughter be hurt just because Bran is being a bastard."

"That might complicate things but I won't turn him away. Family is important," Adam said and hung up after saying good-bye. So Colin Taggart was interested in a witch. Adam could only imagine Bran's opinion of that. He had to admit, though, that if it came down to a battle with the fae or another pack, he would welcome Tag's strength and fighting skills.


End file.
